Beyond Memories
by BookSugar
Summary: We take the things we love the most for granted. But the people we love are not gone forever. They're always inside of us. Sworn by magic and desperate measures, a baby is born. A coming of age tale of a blue haired, chocolate chip eyed girl and her father who embark on a journey to remember their respective late mother and wife. "You were an angel in the shape of my mum" (Sheeran)
1. How to Save a Life

**PLEASE TAKE NOTE: This book is NOT rated M, however it contains the subject of death. This subject matter is heavy and may be a sensitive topic. A character does pass away, but the story deals around the process of healing from that loss and comfort. WHEN POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE CONTENT ARISES, I WILL POST A WARNING & BOLD IT. The coping mechanisms presented may not be the best ways of coping with a loss. Everything presented here is for fanfiction and storytelling purposes. Do not use my work to help you or a friend with the grieving process. Thank you for reading.**

* * *

Evie had just found out at her latest appointment that she was expecting their first child and she struggled to contain her excitement. She dreamed of this her entire life and couldn't hold in her excitement as she called her best friend who as the Queen of Auradon, already had two princes and princess of her own, Mitchell, Bea and Henry.

"M-Mal?" Evie stuttered as she bit her lip, keeping herself from blurting out her news.

"Hey, Evie. Do you mind, I've got to get Henry cleaned up and Bea and Mitch down for a nap. Can I call you later?" She said seemingly less amused.

"Yeah, of course, M" she said a bit dejected, but had a feeling she'd soon understand as she looked down at her stomach.

"Thanks, E" she said quickly as the phone line went flat and she sighed to herself and stared into blank space.

Way too excited, she suddenly sprang up and grabbed her keys, going for a drive to her in-law's who were always happy to see her.

Annabelle and Dopey had been taking it fairly easy at their resort as they were almost at the Auradon law of retirement age.

As usual, Annabelle was in the gardens planting petunias and tulips with a few other staff members. The woman, so thoughtful and friendly had encouraged staffers to join her when business was slow. She used it as a keen way to get to know those who found dependence in income from the Resort. As Evie drove through the lattice gates that read Meditation Springs, she was elated.

Upon noticing a royal blue sedan pull up, Annabelle immediately knew who had come to visit.

"Oh, my dear, Evie!" She said happily as Evie walked up to the woman who took off her gloves and hugged the girl. Evie smiled and pulled away as together they walked inside and Annabelle washed her hands and offered her tea and biscuits, a staple in the residency of the White's.

"So?" Annabelle said as she already had a feeling for her daughter's presence. After multiple phone calls and chats, Annabelle knew it to be nearly a characteristic for the girl to want a family, and ironically differing to her son, a large one at that.

"You're going to be a Nana!" Evie blurted as she and Annabelle both squealed. For her age, the woman was quite young in mind, body and soul. "I found out like 2 hours ago and I couldn't help but tell someone. I tried Doug but he didn't answer. I assumed he was in the labs, where he usually can't answer me" she explained as Annabelle gave a slight eye roll.

"That boy. He will regret being in the lab during this occasion" She said playfully as Evie giggled. "Well congratulations, Mrs. White"

"Thank you. I was way too excited to even be around myself. I just can't believe it. I honestly don't care whether it's a girl or a boy. I just want a little precious bundle of joy to call me mommy" Evie said glowing with happiness.

"Oh, sweetie. It's the best feeling of your entire life. Granted, I got that experience earlier than expected, but nonetheless, raising Doug and Daisy was and still is so much fun and such an honor" Annabelle said as Evie nodded.

"I just hope they stick around–I" Evie began as Annabelle immediately saw her daughter's face drop. "I have a birth defect, so it may be a risky one. My doctor said I'm fine for right now and so is our Bean, but I can't help but think of everything that could go wrong. I haven't fully explained my condition to Doug, I mean he knows that I have complications but not exactly the extent of it"

"What's stopping you from telling him? I'm sure he'd support you and want to know" Annabelle said as she bit into a biscuit and sat back, concern written all over her face. Evie gave a small smile.

"Well, would he think marrying me was a mistake? The fact that I might have trouble carrying our baby, could be something he will be upset about. I have a fear that he'll think I'm a disappointment" Evie admitted as Annabelle shook her head.

"Evie, sweetie. In that mind of his, I don't think your ability to have little ones was a priority. Too be honest, he is a bit of an oddball. I know you know that he's a bit of a geek, but he once said that he always marveled at your intelligence, determination and how spontaneous and creative you were. Now, I'd be surprised it he's never told you that," Annabelle said as Evie nodded her head. "Did he ever ask whether you could or not?"

"No. I think he sort of assumed since I always said it was a dream of mine to have a large family" Evie replied as she sipped the last of her tea and she refilled her cup.

"I assure you there is _nothing_ to worry about" Annabelle concluded as Evie's smile started to curve back on her face as though she knew everything would turn out just fine.

However, in just a short moment of 10 weeks, Evie would be found sobbing. Silently sitting on the rocking bench on their front porch, letting her hair wave in the wind, she shifted with every rock. Hands clasped in her lap, her eyes closed tight, she whispered a few words.

"_My Little Star, wherever you are. Though we never met, you were mine and I was yours. Remembered and loved in my heart, always and forever_" She fluttered her eyes open, her tear stained cheeks heating up as she simply stood and let the wind dry her face.

There was not enough courage, nor words to describe to her husband she had lost their anticipated child. To tell Annabelle, her son had incidentally married a nearly infertile freak.

The hurt that stained her heart and left it empty was something she couldn't bare. Making it to the bedroom, she picked up the black and white photograph of the unknown child that the world would never get to meet.

She was now a mother in spirit.

And that's when the heavens of her tear ducts opened and released a waterfall.

Cursing herself a million times, she hadn't realized she had been sobbing for hours. Her face red, her head throbbing,

Doug walked into the room.

He knelt at her side as he noticed the small photograph in her hand. The one that they had marveled at just over a week ago. The pieces to the puzzle coming together, he immediately embraced his wife as she refused to look in his eyes. With now full understanding, Doug held her close and she slowly grasped onto him.

Not a word was said as his head was spinning with questions and concerns. Trying not to overwhelm her with his silence, he whispered sweet nothings in her ear and calmed her down to the point where she could match his calm breaths.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry" Evie said as he tried to let go to get a good look in her eyes, but she refused with a persistent grip on his forearm.

"No, Evie, no. Don't be sorry. Just let your mind flow free. No worries, no stress, no pain, no faults" he whispered as she started to let go and readjusted herself, lying her head comfortably on his chest as they sat crisscross on the floor. With a few deep breaths, she managed to cry herself to sleep. Doug felt stray tears running down his cheeks, sending tingles down his spine. It wasn't a normality of his to cry. Typically, he let out his emotions in more structured ways, but there were few moments of brokenness in which he felt this way.

He would never admit to her, despite everything he's optimistically said to her, but he had lost a bit of his hope. This came to his surprise, yet he had contemplated at late hours of the night this possibility. But no matter how much he prepared and thought of solutions, no parent, no genius, no one could prepare motions in the loss of a child.

Suddenly it felt like their world had came to a stop, the world halted in its orbit and all things became as still as the silence. It wouldn't be the same. From this moment on, Evie and Doug would find a new definition of love in their relationship and what it meant to live.


	2. How to Start Again

Twirling around to the music on the radio in their new house, Evie was on air. Within their now two and a half years of being married, Doug and Evie had moved from his bachelor pad to the house of Evie's dreams.

Since age 18, she had scrapped her obsession with castles and instead wanted something closer to a cozy home. She adored the blue curtains that decorated the living space and the white walls that had artwork and splashes of color here and there. Days on end they spent together painting each room and furnishing their two-story, four bedroom home. Despite everything Evie could ever wish for, there was one thing missing. Every night after working at Four Hearts, she'd pass the baby blue room decorated with clouds to get to their bedroom.

As she turned down the music, she walked into the room and stood in the center. She didn't expect the tears to stream down her cheeks as she sat holding her knees on the floor, her head in her arms. Too many thoughts came to her mind as she remembered the emotional depression she had gone through. Improper care when she was born, had caused a birth defect where it was now life threatening for her to have children. She hadn't felt the same since almost a year ago when she had miscarried after just 10 weeks. Doug insisted that he still loved her and would never stop loving her, but she still felt a sharp pain of failure through her heart.

But longer than expected, she had been in the nursery.

"Evie?" Doug called as the door shut and he heard light sobs that had become the norm lately. Walking into the sky painted room, he felt a piece of his heart break. "Princess?" Doug said as he sat on the floor next to her and ran his hands through her blue waves.

"I'm sorry" she apologized. "I–I'm such a disappointment" she sobbed as he hushed her.

"You're not a disappointment. I love you for being Evie and not whether you can have children. You are always going to be my beloved Princess whether I get to be a father or not" he whispered to her as she looked up and he wiped a few of her stray tears away. "I don't love you any less"

"I want to try again" she said with a sniffle as he looked in her chocolate chip eyes.

"Are you sure?" Doug asked as he now was nervous. She took his hand.

"I have always wanted a baby. And one of my own" she said her eyes still red. He caressed her cheek.

"If that's what you want, I can't stop you" he said quietly as she smiled and they sat there for a little while longer. "You know, I love you to the moon and back"

Evie turned to face him and kissed his cheek. "I know and I'll never forget it. I love you too"


	3. How to Live a Life

Doug had tried a few more times to convince her to wait awhile. Losing his love wasn't something he wanted to do at 27.

Yet, for his Evie, he soon gave in.

If this didn't work out, Evie would try an alternative route, but at a 3 months, Evie _knew_ their baby was going to stay. Upon telling her husband the news, he had been elated.

She had gone to bed with a feeling of hope and admiration, as a bittersweet pang shot through her heart. By the circumstances she was given, there was more to the story she didn't share. Sworn by magic and desperate measures, she kept her mouth shut, just as Fairy Godmother intended her to.

Shaking with nervousness and guilt, she caressed her prince's palm, in which his arm was wrapped around her mid, protecting his wife and child.

She had six months of this. Six months left until the exchange. Six months until two became, well, two. Six months, 14 days, 3 hours and 56 minutes.

* * *

As the weeks passed, they had been quick to found out the gender and that their little girl was doing okay. To celebrate their news, their friends who all now had children of their own, threw a surprise celebration.

Doug and Evie would begin to delight in their expectant parent life as nights of flipping through every page in the naming book, experimenting with new color swatches and midnight cravings became momentous occasions.

However, through their little addition, Evie was not quite Evie anymore. She was often emotional, spaced out, more spontaneous than usual or irritable. Her health had been oddly fluctuating, to Doug's surprise, something he knew only to occur in the case of Rapunzel's mother and the healing flower.

Their weeks consisted of no less than 4 times Evie cried, apologized 20 times on average and started 7 random projects that she never finished. In terms of her immune system, she'd range from perfectly fine, to minor colds to heart palpitations to weak and feverish. As well as the fact that Evie often at home went without makeup and wore her hair in a neat, slightly messy bun.

Doug didn't mind the change up of her style, in fact he liked it better. Yes, his wife was still gorgeous with makeup on, but she looked even more beautiful when he could see her tiny little freckles on the bridge of her nose and her small cleft chin. To him, her immune system was more of a concern.

Their baby was due in 2 months and that was far to slow for Evie. Of course being a male, Doug had absolutely no idea what she felt like, but he assumed it was close to death.

As he walked in the door from a long day at the labs, Evie was laying on the couch, her new favorite spot, talking on the phone to who he assumed was once again Fairy Godmother.

Strangely enough since finding out about their addition, she had been weekly chatting with the wise and powerful woman, something Doug would never understand and marveled at, however no less than that of her relationship with Snow White. Those two had begun to bond a few years back, yet since she lived across the country of Auradon, they often didn't get to see each other.

She spent parts of her day conversing on the phone to her friends ranging from Dizzy to Mal to Jane to even Lonnie, now that she and Jay had their third child on the way.

By now, the core four had gotten married and now all had the next generation.

Mal had their eldest son, Prince Mitchell at 10 months after the royal wedding, deeming his nickname _the honeymoon baby_, Princess Bea was 3 and the youngest was Prince Henry at 2.

Even Jane and Carlos had a 15 month old daughter, Jessie.

Lonnie being focused on her fencing and Jay in tourney, they delayed starting a family for a few years, until three years ago with a pair of twins. Lonnie was just under four months and she and Evie often spoke about their condition and all sorts of things. She had decided not to find out the gender, unlike Doug and Evie who were just too curious to wait.

"Hi, Doug…." Evie said drawing out his name in a sweet voice as she put her phone aside. "How was your day!?"

He turned to her smiling. "Decent, lovely lady, And yours?" he asked as she smiled back.

"Wonderful. Your daughter was a bit eviler than usual" she said rolling her eyes. "She's going to have to stop the kicking one of these days. At Four Hearts everyone kept thinking I was about to give birth, so Dizzy sent me home"

"Are you sure you don't want to take just a few weeks off? I was talking to one of the guys at the lab, and he said his kids arrived before or after their due date. Usually, never on the exact day. And he should know, six kids later…" he said shuddering. Evie laughed.

"I'm fine and your daughter is fine as well. I'll know when she's ready. We'll be okay. I know you worry about us every night. I promise you won't lose your girls" Evie assured him as he gave a nervous sigh.

She took his hand and placed it over her bump. Evie laughed at how he was confused as there was nothing, until he quickly removed his hand. "See, what I mean. She's evil"

"I'm not surprised. Her momma was…" He started as she slapped his arm.

"I was what? You finish that sentence and you'll see how evil I really am" she said trying to hold in her smile.

"You're so cute" he kissed her cheek, fondly looking at her. "Need anything?"

"The Cheez Whip and the oatmeal cookies" she said innocently going back to her phone. He nodded going into the kitchen. Processed cheese was Evie's go-to craving. On bread, cookies, pasta, even by itself. Doug knew better than to deny her the can of cheez whip.

Just like the salmon and baked potatoes they had for dinner a few weeks prior, she had insisted she wanted whipped cream and chocolate chips topped on her fish. If someone hadn't seen the watermelon she had been growing, they'd think Evie was just his insane, spontaneous, blue haired wife.

But at the same time, she sort of was.

He brought the Cheez Whip and the cookies to her as she smiled, her eyes lighting up. She sprayed it in a bowl and dipped a cookie in the Cheez and closed her eyes in delight.

"Hades, I can't imagine how you feel" he said grimacing as he ate a plain cookie.

"I wish you could simulate this. I think you'd have a lot more sympathy for me" She said. "Oh, and lucky you, I've only cried three times this week and it's Friday!"

"That's my girl" he said as they both laughed. He put his arm around her shoulders and she leaned into him as they both contently sighed in unison.


	4. How to Let Go

**WARNING: If death, dying or the loss of someone is a sensitive topic, it's okay. I suggest that you take this chapter carefully. As the author, I almost cried. I want to make sure that what you read from me will not cause you to revisit hurt or to feel upset. If you opt out of reading this chapter, I understand. **

* * *

Doug didn't know what might happen before she was due. Often after Evie had gone to bed, he would stay up watching her sleep peacefully with the exception of a few moments throughout the night being awoken by their daughter.

And Evie did the same.

As her due date neared, she started to get on edge. She had contemplated explaining everything that had happened and was about to happen to her husband, but thought of the magic and the promise. And the failure they could have gone through, once more, so she kept it to herself.

One unfortunate night, the calm and joy of their married, expecting life was interrupted when a visit to the hospital was needed when Evie became unconscious.

Earlier than expected, 6 weeks before the bump was due, she was rushed to the hospital and it was declared that the premature baby be delivered. Evie was experiencing life-threatening complications and it wasn't safe for either of them anymore.

Before they went into an emergency C-section, Evie had awoken hours ago with few doses of IV. As they rushed down the hall, nurses at her side, she gave a few words as she smiled weakly. "I love you, Douglas White. You taught me love and I will forever love you, my Dougie-Bear"

He smiled as there was a moment where their eyes and hearts were intertwined and he squeezed her hand. "I love you, Evie. You are beautiful inside and out. You're going to be okay, baby" he said as there was a tint of red on her cheeks at the pet name as he kissed her blushing cheek and she held onto his hand for awhile.

The doctor opened the door to the room and the doors flapped closed, leaving Doug with a sudden view of nothing. He opened his eyes and felt a lump grow in his throat. _I can't lose her. I just can't. _

A few moments later, Doug would learn that she had once again gone unconscious at the amount of blood lost. Evie could not hold a heartbeat as the monitor showed no sign of increase. Mal, Ben, Jane, Carlos, Jay, Lonnie, Dopey, Annabelle, Daisy and Dizzy were all waiting in the lobby with Doug who had gone from pacing to sitting to pacing once again. It wasn't for hours later did the nurse come out, clear distress on her face.

"Just under 4 pounds, 12 inches" she said as she looked in sorrow. The group cooed with admiration that the two indeed had become parents. Doug had his head in his hands and he had one other concern weighing down his shoulders.

"W-what about her mother?" Mal said tearing up as the group was in silence. Doug looked up in hope, patiently waiting an answer.

"She's not doing well, I'm sorry" she said as Doug suddenly rose up and went into the room and knelt by Evie's side holding her hand. The rest of the group had soon joined him standing around her. Never before had anyone seen him this broken. His body shook and his face red. In silence, he sat with tears flowing out his eyes.

"Evie, i–if you can hear me, please. I love you so much and you are so special. The amount of strength you had to give your own life for the sake of our daughter, is remarkable. Thank you so much for everyday you made shine brighter with your presence. Thank you for your gift of our precious little lady. I will put my soul into raising her. I love you to the moon and back, baby" he said as he slowly broke down and let all things loose. A grip in his hand startled him as Evie hesitated to speak.

"I love every single one of you in this room. I-I left you all something. My baby and her daddy. I knew this day was coming. So much I wish I said, but I lived my best life. My best life with all you by my side. I-I need you to remember I cherish everything about everyone of you and" Evie stopped as her eyes fluttered and slowly closed. "I will miss you all. I love you, Doug. Never forget me or the love we shared. I got everything I ever wanted. One last—"

Evie coughed and wheezed a bit, her life slowly leaving her earthly form. "K-kiss my–" she said in between breaths. "Last breath away. You can get the honors. True love's kiss?" She said with a weak smile as Doug looked up and each and everyone in the room bid the 26 year old goodbye as her husband lightly kissed her soft lips as the monitor had one last beat as he pulled away. She gripped her heart necklace and his hand. It was all too soon as he felt her hand go limp and one prolonged indicator sounded through the room.

Sobs and cries were heard far and wide. The surroundings stood still as the autumn breeze came to a stop.

She was gone.

* * *

When Doug was as emotionally stable as he could get for that Friday, he had gone with his mother, Mal, Carlos, Ben and Jay to see his little girl.

She had wisps of blue that covered her head. Her face was red and she looked to be uncomfortable inside of the incubator. Her eyes didn't open as they cooed in awe at the tiny baby.

Doug prayed she got her mother's captivating brown eyes and her smile. The nurse, an older woman, kindly patted his hand as Doug admired his daughter.

"Did her mother get to see her?" Jay asked in a voice quieter than usual. He stared in through the glass as he felt his heart stinging as if someone had ripped it to shreds.

"She did and although she was barely holding on, there was joy in her eyes. She seemed to be a very strong woman. There were a few moments of skin to skin, but I think her father can fill in the rest of the bonding time" The nurse said as they looked over to see the new father, nearly curled up on the bench, simply staring at the blue haired baby.

"Yeah" Mal said worried about her late _sister's_ husband. "God, this is going to be tough and I never thought I'd live without her. We dreamed of growing old and just being there for each other. I can't believe Evie is gone" Mal sobbed as Jay held her close.

Ben squeezed Mal's hand, still in disbelief and shock. Someone who he had admired as she transitioned into his best friend's wife. The woman he respected and sought aid when needed. The woman who brought the Isle and Auradon together and fought to get equal status for VKs and AKs alike.

Carlos had been standing in complete and utter shock. Completely still, his eyes closed. His best friend since they were just young kids was gone. 20 years after the birthday party of the Isle, the fairest of them all was gone.

August 16th, 2024 at 6:48am, Evie's earthly legacy was left in the form of her daughter. A day of loss and joy. A day that would haunt Doug until his daughter would turn 16.


	5. How to Move On

3,000 words... sorry about that.

* * *

Like his wife had insisted, he named the baby Genesis Rose, a play on Genevieve Rose. She grew up to become the spitting image of her mother. Tresses of blue cascaded like a waterfall down her back as she had eyes resembling sweet chocolate chips, and full rosy lips. She stood at around 5'4" and wore clothes inspired by the woman she loved, but never had the opportunity to meet.

Four Hearts, thanks to Dizzy was still going strong and as a group, they helped the single father raise his daughter.

Genesis didn't know much about her mother, but Doug made it his goal to see that she knew many things about her. But as the days until August 16th came near and it was her golden birthday, Doug had been unknowingly pulling away from his daughter.

Alone every year he'd visit her grave at 6:48 promptly, while Genesis was with her grandparents. Yet this year she wanted to do something special with them later. So strangely enough, she awoke as he was getting ready to leave.

"Dad?" The young girl, her hair pulled into a ponytail said as he came out his room, wrapping her gift that this year, was the gift that Evie had saved her future daughter's 16th birthday.

"Good morning" he said as she smiled at his nickname. "Happy birthday, my blueberry!"

"Thanks, daddy!" She said. "Where are you going?"

"Um, just out. What are your plans for the day?" He asked her as she sighed.

"Well my friends are coming so we can go to the mall and get our nails and stuff done and a movie, then there's dinner with you and my grandparents, and lastly the usual sleepover with my aunts" she said. "But you're never up this early going places"

"It's just something I do every August 16th" he said as she sighed again.

"Daddy, I'm old enough to know. I just need to know in case you're not back by the time I leave" she said quietly putting her hands on her hips, much like her mother used to do.

"Genesis, sit down for a moment" he asked her as she sat at the other chair in the dining room, her arms crossed. "Your mom passed 16 years ago"

"I know that" she said looking up at her father watching his face become very soft.

"Yes, but on your birthday, blueberry. Every year at 6:48, I visit the cemetery and lay blue roses" Doug said all of a sudden a lump in his throat. Genesis looked into space.

"Can I come?" She asked looking back at her father. She began to play with her fingers. "Well, it's okay if it's like a private thing though. I get it" she mumbled.

"Sure, we just have to get going soon, Queenie" he said getting her to smile at the nickname. Ever since she found out her grandmother was the Evil Queen she used to walk around saying that it then made her a "Queenie" as well.

"I'll be ready. And Dad, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you, like" she trailed off as he nodded with a smile.

"It's okay. I shouldn't have kept this from you," he said a she went upstairs and put on the dress that had been in her closet since she could remember, that was labeled _16_. It was a blue off the shoulder layered dress with two straps. It came just above her knees with a black lace vine pattern. Genesis put on a mini tiara that was in another box labeled _16 _and brushed her hair in loose waves.

She completed her outfit with black mini block-heeled sandals. She came out of her room, grabbing her red leather jacket and with her mini crossbody purse that was in the shape of a heart, resembling her mother's. Her dad was in the mud room with a gift labeled with her name and a bouquet of blue roses from her grandmother's flower shoppe.

He looked up from his phone and smiled. "You look just like your mom, Genesis. Where did you buy your outfit?" He asked as he locked the door and they went to the car.

"I thought you gave it to me. The dress had a Evie's Four Hearts tag on it, but the jacket had a label reading _EVIE_ and that was it. The tiara didn't have one though, but it was in the same "16" box as the dress. The dress, jacket and tiara have been in my closet for years and I assumed mom bought it to give to me or something" she said as they drove off and she observed the strange look on her father's face.

"That's interesting because I've never seen the dress before. The tiara was your mom's and we put it in your closet before you were born. The red jacket, if I remember, she had one just like it and it must be hers from when she was about 16. But the dress… I'll ask your Aunt Dizzy about that one," he said as the wheels in his head turned.

_I know Evie had planned for the worst, but did she really plan as far as an entire outfit? If so, what else did she leave behind. And how did she know all of this ahead of time? Was there more to Genesis that I never knew? _

He looked in the rear view mirror as Genesis now had her earbuds in and was mouthing the words to various popular songs. He smiled at her as she smiled back.

It was then when the scene of a couple days before Genesis was born, played in his head. A fond memory came to mind of his late wife. They laid in bed at about 2am as Evie was surfing the web, after another restless night with Genesis. She lightly tapped his shoulder as he sighed a bit groggily.

"_What do you think about designing the baby a tiara?" Evie said as Doug chuckled and she flicked his wrist that was now in his other hand as he pretended to be hurt. _

"_That's fine, Evie. I can ask my dad tomorrow if they've gotten a new shipment of rubies yet" Doug said as her eyes brightened. _

"_Aww, thank you. I think she's been wanting her daddy. I swear she is slowly kicking my left ribs out of my body" she giggled. "You're so sweet. You're going to be so involved in her life" _

"_Of course, I hope she'll have the big heart of her mommy" he said as she smiled. He noticed a change in her nature as Evie nodded and played with her wedding ring that unlike her husband, she started sleeping with, oddly every night. _

"_I hope so too. You know, if the worst happens, you can always remarry" she said as he frowned, taking her hand in his. _

"_Don't think about that, sweetheart. It won't happen. I could never find anyone as perfect as you" he said as she had to swallow multiple times to hold back her tears. _

_What he didn't know was that she had kept the secret of her prognosis. She wasn't predicted to make it through her daughter's birth, nor even make it to the due date. _

_Unusually, she had complications in which their daughter was unintentionally interrupting her blood flow. The doctors had concluded that either the baby would be lost or Evie would lose her life. _

_Upon knowing this, it took the strength of the heavens and her bravery to continuing living, knowing these would be her last months as a wife, best friend, daughter and expectant mother. _

_It hurt everyday to know that these were some of her last days, but every time her daughter kicked, she cried. She cried because she'd never get to see her grow up, tell her all the things mothers do. She cried for the sake of her best friends, pseudo-siblings, and family. She cried for the sake of her husband. _

_Doug enveloped her hand in his and she looked down, managing to form words. _

"_You're right" Evie lied as she smiled, leaning over to his opened arms. She took the offer, immediately cuddling. _

_Their intertwined hands rested on the growing bump that sat between them. Evie took in the moment and closed her eyes, her head laying on his chest. Doug watched her eyelids completely shut as he brushed her waves from her face and vowed to never let her go. _

_He vowed from that moment on to protect his girls. But Mother Nature had other plans. _

As Doug returned to reality, he had stopped the car at one of the most groomed cemeteries in Auradon. He knew the exact spot down to the latitude in which his wife laid.

Parking, he stopped the car and Genesis looked up. "Oh, we're here already?" She said as he nodded. They got out and he led the way. She put her phone away and followed his lead.

"You know you can speak in a cemetery, Blueberry" he chuckled as she sheepishly smiled.

"Oh, yeah. I just didn't want to like break the mood or be disrespectful" she said rubbing her hand. "So, um, Mom, you don't talk about her too much anymore, but what was she actually like?"

Doug smiled. "Much like you. Always asking questions, very curious and always liked to learn. You know about 4 Hearts, but she used to sew clothes in high school. Your mom had a generous heart and always wanted to help someone. She liked to laugh and never thought she was funny, but she was" he said as they walked to a stone in the shape of a heart. It was encased in gold and had her name written in cursive.

Genesis' eyes wandered along the tombstone as her father laid the blue roses. _Genevieve (Evie) White/1998-2025/Inspiration, Daughter, Wife, Mother - Apart Of Core 4 VKs - First VK self-made multimillionaire_

Though she had never gotten the opportunity to meet the women who paved the way for other girls to dream of something besides the Isle and made an impact on the kingdom, she felt her heart falling apart. She turned to her father who sat facing the tombstone. She took a seat next to him.

"Dad?" She said, her voice wavering, her eyes watering. He turned to his daughter and immediately put his arm around her as she leaned into his shoulder. "How do you do it every year?"

"I have you, Genesis. Every year I think of what your mom left me and I smile. I think of every second I got to spend with her and invest in keeping her legacy alive. The first few years, I admit, I used to sulk in grief after you had your annual princess birthday parties. But gradually I let go of my grief and started to actually live my life" he explained as she nodded.

"I don't even know her or have a connection, but I'm literally sobbing over her" she said as he chuckled a bit, smoothing her hair.

"You are her daughter and never forget that. She got to see you, hold you, feel you kick and hear your heartbeat. She knew you and you knew her. You're wearing her outfit and now you're going to get a piece of her" He said taking the box he had next to him and handing it to her.

Genesis was confused as she took the box and unraveled the red bow from the gold box. She opened the lid and found a crisp aged note and another box that looked worn. She carefully took the note as she immediately smelled vanilla and roses. Doug smiled at the fact that his late wife's trademark stationary scent had survived the past 16 years.

_Dear my baby girl, _

_By now you must be 16 and your father has given you my gift. I hope you have grown up to be a beautiful girl, inside and out. I wish I could see you and talk to you and hug you and do what mothers and daughters do, but I can't. It's hard to comprehend that if you're reading this, I must be gone. Right now, tears are streaming down my face and by the time you read this, the tear stains will probably be gone. I loved you more than you know. I loved to feel you kick me and I liked to hear your heartbeat. I used to talk to you and you were always so still, as if you were listening and trying to remember my voice. It hurts to know I'll never get to see you and be your mommy, but remember that I'll always be apart of you. _

_Your daddy was the most supportive, sweet, smart and amazing person in my life. I'm sure he's told you about me and he was there every step of the way, leading to you. He changed everything for me. When he seems to get upset, that is just him dealing with his loss of me. I know this because he'd get upset when we'd talk of what could happen, and I guess what ended up happening. _

_This is honestly the weirdest thing of my entire life, writing a note to you as if I was dead! :) I had many secrets in my life and things I wish I could explain to both you and your father. _

_Um, so here goes. _

_You weren't going to survive, but I couldn't let your dad down. I didn't want to be a disappointment. So when I found out, I went to see Fairy Godmother and she gave me a flower supplement. It saved your life, but it wasn't healthy for my birth defect. As my health was declining, you ended up getting most of my nutrients and exact sections of my DNA as well as your dad's, of course. Oddly enough, you might end up with my face, my talents and who knows what. I know it's crazy, but you have a near exact replica of my DNA. I never told your dad and I have things for you that I pre-planned since I was just about 5 weeks with you. Fairy Godmother, your Aunt Jane, are the only ones who know. Not even Queen Mal, my best friend and sister. _

_I regret not telling anyone, but I wouldn't ever regret saving your life so you could instead have mine. I'm sorry you don't get to grow up with a mom. I highly doubt your father remarried, being the man he is. I didn't want to lose you, so I gave you life, over mine. I hope Auradon Prep is treating you well. I hope your dad listened to me and named you Genesis Rose, as we had agreed. I loved that name as it means beginning rose. You began a new part of everyone's life and began a new era, plus you are as precious as a rose. Its also a take on my own name, Genevieve Rose._

_As I'm told, I'll be watching over you and a part of me will both literally and figuratively be apart of you. I hope you keep your head up and stay strong. I want you to be the best you can be and don't strive for perfection. It's impossible, and trust me, I know it is. Don't forget that your mommy loves you so much. You're my treasured little girl and I wish I could give you all the hugs and kisses in the world. Never let anyone tell you otherwise. You are special, beautiful, a masterpiece and everything you want to be. I don't want to end this, but everything in life comes with an end, sweet pea. I'm sorry mine came so soon. I'm so glad I had you. _

_Remember that I am always there with you. Oh, and I've left you somethings. I'm not sure if your dad has read my note to him or not, explaining a load of secrets I took with me, but within that note it tells where your gifts are. We'll meet again, Genesis Rose. I just know it. I wish a million times we both could be together as a family, but things just don't work like we want them to. I can't and will never stop loving you. I loved you until the day I died. I love you (and your daddy too). _

_Forever and Always, _

_Your mommy, _

_Evie Rose White 3_

Genesis had tears streaming down her face as she sobbed against her father's shoulder. She passed him the note as he read it and she swore she felt his heart stop. A few tears discreetly trickled down his cheeks and she hugged her dad and sat there as if she was 5 again.

"I didn't know. And she never told me" Doug said in a whisper to himself. "You're basically Evie, then"

"I guess so" she said as she freaked out, her heart beating fast. "I'm a near clone of my mother"

He stood up and she followed suit. His mind raced. _I'm not mad at her. I'm disappointed. I'm disappointed she kept something so big a secret. But I'm not mad at my Evie. I'm just disappointed. _

"Dad, the other box" Genesis pointed as she grabbed it and opened the lid finding another note and a necklace. The necklace had a pure gold chain and a red ruby that sparkled in the light and a gold embellished crown.

"It's her necklace" Doug said in a near whisper as he stood at his daughter side as she read the note aloud.

"Hi, my love. This necklace has a lot of history. I inherited it from my mother on my 6th birthday and I cannot imagine my jewelry box without it. It's my favorite necklace and I wore it with almost everything (except my wedding dress. I instead wore your grandmother, Annabelle's necklace, but that's for another day). This necklace is made of pure ruby stone and gold, a rarity on the isle of the lost. So how did my mother get it? My dad (your grandfather) had got it made for her before the barrier was put into place. It symbolized their promise ring. She gave it to me after their separation, so I'd remember him and keep a piece of both of their love with me. It means so much to me and I'm even wearing it now. This necklace reminded me of who I am a descendant of and every time I clutched it, it made me feel magical. There was a feeling that I can't describe that came from this necklace. As far as I know, magic doesn't exist with this necklace. Only using my hands and a few spells I knew put my magic into existence. I doubt you have magic, but Fairy Godmother would know. You don't have to become obsessed with the necklace like I was, but it's a gift to you. Protect it with your heart, Genesis. I love you, your mommy" she finished reading as Doug was now confused.

"When she passed, she had the necklace on" Doug stated his throat becoming rough. "She held it as she died"

"If she had it when she died, then how is it here? Shouldn't it have been buried with her?" Genesis asked as she looked up to see her father's eyes a bit glossy.

"I—I don't recall her being buried with it. I don't understand" he said as Genesis suddenly hugged her dad and he returned it, smoothing her hair.

"Dad, we'll figure this out together. We'll put the pieces in place and solve the unknown mysteries and secrets that mom left behind" the girl said as she clipped the necklace around her neck. Doug picked up the boxes and he said a few unknown words at the grave. Genesis softly smiled as he patted the roses again and stood up.

As they walked to the car, they both missed the flashing glow of the necklace around Genesis' neck. The glow that activated the mystery of Evie's last days.


	6. How To Open Up

By the time Genesis processed her thoughts about the mystery of her mother, she was at the annual sleepover that took place at the palace of her Aunt Mal and Uncle Ben.

As usual, a few of her cousins that were of her age were in attendance. Cora DeVil, 17, Princess Bea, 18 and Juliet Li-Sultan, 15. The girls had easily grown to have a close friendship with Genesis especially Princess Bea.

At age 3, Bea hadn't exactly realized what had happened to her Aunt. For the next years until age 6, she always questioned why Genesis didn't have a mother and where her favorite aunt had gone. Upon understanding the circle of life, Bea created a special relationship with the younger girl and always made herself available like a sister, because of the loss of Evie.

"Genesis, doll?" Lonnie said as the girl looked up from the letter she found that her mother had left her. "What's up?"

"Oh, nothing. It's just a note" Genesis said as she quickly folded it, stuffing it back into her pillowcase. Mal, Jane, Lonnie, Dizzy and Daisy eyed the girl who then patted the pillow and sat expectantly waiting for someone to speak.

"Is that from Asher?!" Jessie asked with a slight squeal as the women all looked at Jessie.

"No!" Genesis said her face going into a full blush. "I—I no. It's just a little note. Nothing serious. And Asher doesn't even give a thought about me. I mean he'll like walk past as if I'm a ghost" she sighed as Mal suspiciously eyed the girl.

"Doug—your dad," Mal said as she caught herself. "Sorry. Your dad told me you went to see her stone today. Your mom's" she finished as her heart began to skip beats. Often Mal stayed away from Evie's name as her eyes would always begin to tear up and she'd get a bit emotional. After 16 years, Mal still could barely believe Evie was gone.

"Oh? He finally did?" Lonnie asked as Genesis nodded and she handed Mal a small packet of tissues. The purple fairy put her hand up in refusal as Lonnie stuffed the packet into her hand and gave her a look. They both chuckled and Mal finally took them.

The five women, now in their late thirties and early forties had easily found comfort in each other after the death of their beloved friend. Her death had drawn the group closer and each one of them had a special relationship with Genesis as Evie intended them to.

"Yeah, you know. He was sort of emotional and space out during the whole thing. And I get it. But lately, I've been finding it strange that he was once in love with someone. I can't imagine him married. He's so boring and everytime a lady will try to talk to him, he gets so antsy"

"Genesis, that is honestly something he's struggled with forever. He was always so awkward. But your mom was a different story. There was a one-in-a-lifetime chemistry between your parents. For some reason he was a different person with her. Losing her definitely has closed him off from that sort of world. I think he's forgotten what it feels like to be in love since that was so many years ago" Daisy explained softly as the others nodded.

"I remember when I was like super young. Probably around 3," Bea began as Genesis turned to face her. "And I think your parents were babysitting me. You were such a big watermelon, too" she laughed.

"But I remember asking your dad why he liked your mom's blue hair. It was such a stupid question, but his answer was so authentic. He responded that it was unique, reminded him of calm waves on an ocean and it meant that 'someone he loved was near.'" Bea said clearly in thought.

"Why do you remember that?" Jessie giggled as Lonnie cocked her head with a smile in confusion.

"Yeah. Like why just that one moment?" Lonnie questioned as well.

"I don't know. It's such a random memory, but it's a fond one. It's one of the only ones I remember of her" Bea said as the room was silent and Genesis felt her head begin to ache. It was oddly quiet for longer than Jane was confortable with after bringing up Evie. She knew the girl knew something about her mother and it wasn't sitting well. And it was something along the lines of the secrets Evie had that only she and her mother—Fairy Godmother that is, strictly knew about. Jane only then realized the girl had turned sixteen. And there was something about "sixteen" and Evie that she remembered.

_(Flashback)_

_"Jane. I know I' m not going to make it through my little girl's life, but I really want to leave her gifts or just little notes, so that it'll be like I'm there. And even something like a dress, necklace or something special for when she turns sixteen, since that age was so pivotal for me." Evie said as she was on the phone with the new headmistress of Auradon Prep. _

_"That'd be nice. I bet she'd like that as she grows up. Evie, are you really sure you want to continue the treatments? It's really not making you well" Jane asked as she heard a sigh. _

_"I know. I've wanted her forever and now I finally get the chance. And her dad will be so happy. I can't go through another miscarriage again. I can't lose another baby. I know what I'm doing. I understand the consequences." _

_"I know you do, but it's just the fact that you're going to tear yourself out of her life—Doug's life. Did you decide to tell him?" Jane asked as she heard another sigh. _

_"No. I can't find the right moment. I don't know how. And he said we'd try a surrogate if nothing else worked. He never said I couldn't use magic. I want this experience and I've gotten to live my best life. This little girl will carry my legacy. That's like the perfect icing on the cake of what I could ever wish for" Evie chuckled as Jane laughed a bit. _

_"Okay, Evie. How long do you want me to keep these secrets of yours?" _

_"As long as you can. Maybe until after I die. Actually, no. Forever. What people don't know won't hurt them, right?" Evie laughed as Jane rolled her eyes. _

_"Hades, you're torturing me. My mom can keep secrets forever. But as basically a mere mortal and half fairy, that'll be impossible. How about you write a bunch of notes explaining everything and leave them for Doug or something, just like you want to do for the baby. I mean I could help him understand and talk through it" Jane laughed. _

_"That is such a crazy idea, but I love it. I really feel so guilty, but he just isn't ready to know. I think I might do that" Evie admitted as Jane stopped laughing. _

_"You're kidding right? You have to tell him before time runs out. You don't think he'll be devastated that you didn't have the guts to tell him in person? No, I was just joking around. Leave the notes for the baby, but tell him in person" _

_"I'm serious. Maybe I'll explain to him when she's born" Evie said her voice cracking. _

_"No, you might not even make it through labour, Evie. You've got to do it now" _

_"I—I guess I'll tell him in person, then" _

_"Great. So it's a deal. You're going to tell him, right?" Jane asked lingering on her words as she waited for an answer expectantly from her friend. The line was dead for awhile until she heard a breath. _

_"Yeah, whatever" Evie responded. Jane only then had felt at ease. But when that fateful day came and Genesis was born, Doug had crumbled and shockingly fell at Evie's side. And Jane had realized, Evie never mentioned anything. _

_(Flashback over) _

"The note, was it from your mom?" Jane asked as Genesis' eyes widened and she gulped in surprise.

"Um, yes... " she drew out as she eyed the pillowcase.

"Can I see it?" Jane asked as the others in the room watched the exchange happen.

Within the few minutes it took for her to read the note, Jane had stray tears sliding down her cheeks.

"Gen, I knew. I knew all along. I kept those secrets for your mom. I—I had to. Your dad has no idea. No idea" Jane said as she embraced the girl tightly and everyone sat in silence watching the two.

"What _did_ you know?" Mal blurted, clearly a bit hurt as the blue haired girl and the brown haired half-fairy faced the group. Jane wiped her eyes and cleared her throat. She looked down before she looked at Mal.

"Everything"


	7. How to be a Father

She was only a few months old, but she was his pride and joy. _His_ little girl. Every moment he spent with her, he couldn't help but think that she was one of his truest dreams in reality.

He just wished Evie were here to meet her.

She was a very calm and quiet baby, much to his surprise.

Since going back to work a week ago, when she turned three months, Jane, Lonnie, Mal and Annabelle had taken it upon themselves to alternately care for the baby while he worked at the Laboratory.

He was teaching a biochemistry course introduction to a group of interns when Lonnie had to drop by with Genesis. She came inside with the carrier as the tiny baby was asleep in a hat with a bow and a white onesie with a red heart on it.

His students turned to the door as she walked in with a smile. "Hi!" She said as he smiled back.

"Hey" He said, turning to his class. "You can finish taking the notes and try the practice equations" The students nodded but still looked towards the door.

A few students watched their employer and instructor exchange a few words and a carrier with the woman.

"Yeah, she was fine today, as usual. You know I'm not surprised she's such a chill baby. I mean her dad is pretty cool"

"Oh, but sometimes she has a bit of that Evie attitude in the middle of the night," he said with a chuckle.

She laughed. "I'll let you get back to your class. See you" she said with a wave, passing him the bag. He waved back to her.

Coming back inside the room, he set the carrier on the floor behind his desk and he saw it move as she made a few noises, waking up. The class cooed and looked over.

"We have a visitor today. This is my daughter, Genesis" he said as the class awed. "She's three and a half months. I hope she's not so much of a distraction for you all"

He leaned down to unbuckle her from the carrier as she squirmed in her onesie.

"She's so cute!" One student said.

"Excuse my asking, but you don't talk about your family often. So you are married, or—" a student up front asked as he smiled.

"No, I don't tell you a lot about myself. My daughter is all I have. Her mom—my wife passed away after she was born" he said softly as they room was dead silent.

"I'm sorry for your loss" a few students said as he nodded.

"Thank you, but it's okay. Moving along, did anyone solve either equation? The first one should be fairly straight forward," he said as he held the girl and she laid in his shoulder.

Doug called to one of the college sophomores towards the back ,with his hand raised.

"From the reactants of propane and oxygen and products of carbon dioxide and water, we need to balance the equation. In this sense, we need to use linear algebra. At completion, this combustion reaction would present two molecules propane plus nine molecules oxygen that will render six molecules carbon dioxide plus eight molecules dihydrogen dioxide" he finished as Doug nodded and rubbed the baby's back.

"Water is fine too. At Doc we tend to go by the more identifiable scientific names. It's rather arbitrary to use any other name. Thank you," he said as the students nodded and took note of a few things.

The classroom was silent while he wrote the next equation on the board explaining the answer.

"With a focus on carbon, as shown that propane and oxygen render carbon dioxide, all carbon atoms have four electrons used to bond with varied atoms. More specifically, hydrocarbons are the bonding between carbon and hydrogen. Found in living organisms in addition to hydrocarbons are nitrogen, sulfur and oxygen. Hydrocarbon examples include methane, propane and ethane. This was a fairly simple addition reaction. The bond between hydrogen and chlorine, C1 and 2 are broken as well as the bond between chlorine and hydrogen. The bonds formed are C1 and hydrogen and C2 and chlorine" he finished as the class chuckled.

"Please tell me you all knew that. Otherwise, I don't want to see your lab reports from yesterday" he chuckled as the class laughed. "That's it for today, lab hours are available today as well"

He turned off the smartboard and adjusted his hold of Genesis. The baby squealed in delight as he handed her a plush lamb. She waved it in her hand before throwing it on the floor.

He smiled and picked it back up again, just for her to throw it on the floor again. This time he picked it back up and held it in his own hand while she played with it.

"Wait, so who was that lady?" One of the students asked. A group of students were staying back to make up a missed lab with titrations.

"An old friend of mine" he answered as she managed to get a hold of the lamb and threw it on the floor for the third time.

"You like this game, huh?" He said to Genesis as she put her hand into her mouth and squealed. She snuggled into his neck, still sucking on her hand.

"Titration lab?" He asked the young man as he and a few others nodded.

"I'll get that set up for you" he said placing her back in the carrier. Right when he began to walk away, she whimpered, as if she was calling out to him.

She put her hands up toward him, making grabbing motions as he smiled and stroked her cheek. "Daddy will only take a minute" he said as he put his finger up to his mouth trying to keep her quiet.

However, Genesis wasn't having it. Just as he got a buret set up and was grabbing a beaker, she shrieked and he nearly dropped the glass.

"I'm sorry" he said to the few interns who were clearly not used to the high pitched shrieks of a baby.

Genesis burst into tears as he picked her up and bounced her a bit, attempting to give her the pacifier. She rejected it and turned her head.

Placing her on his shoulder, he rubbed her back and softly bounced her, the sobs quieting down.

"She's probably thinking why did my daddy leave me with all these strangers around" one of the women said as she cooed at the infant.

"Probably. She's very attached to me. It's taken her up until now to even get used to her grandparents" he chuckled. The students instead decided to set up the lab with his direction as he calmed Genesis down.

Two hours later, the students got their hours in and left the facility. Doug turned out the lights and made his way out of the classroom down to the lobby. He signed out and said goodbye to the security guard.

Putting her in the car seat, he sped home and set her down for a nap. Exhausted from the day, as usual, he fell asleep in her nursery, the same room he and Evie painted two years ago, covered in a sky blue with clouds painted on the wall and a sun night light hanging from the wall. Upon waking up, he looked into the crib watching the baby sleep peacefully, her tummy rising with every breath. He smiled at the smooth blue hair that covered her head and the red footed onesie she wore with a golden hearts pattern.

"Goodnight, my sweet munchkin. I love you" he whispered as he left a crack in the door and walked to his own room. He looked at the picture of him and his wife, holding on to her baby bump. It sat on his nightstand as he felt a lump grow in his throat. However, he managed to smile, thinking of the little bump who was now a beautiful, healthy baby girl.

Indeed their daughter had started a new beginning. A new beginning without Evie. A new beginning that left him wanting to go back in time. A time when they were just carefree and happy kids in love. But this was a new era. One that was going to change him forever, for the better.

* * *

"Daddy?!" He heard his daughter say as she ran through the house rummaging through the drawers and closets.

"Gen?" He said his head aching. He groaned, putting his glasses on and stood out of bed. His door was open as his teenage daughter was still in her pajamas and peeking in his room.

_I was only dreaming? That was so vivid_, he thought as he squinted at the picture on his nightstand. The exact one in his dream.

"Yeah, so I had this really weird dream. It was like an angel was talking to me. I couldn't tell who she was but she told me there was something for me in a little white box somewhere in the house. I think she said in like a big blue bin with an E on the top" Genesis said as her hair was messily out of her ponytail and sticking up in some places.

"An angel in your dream told you there was a box with an "E" on it that has a little white box inside?" He questioned with a chuckle.

"I know it's crazy, but she said to find it!" She said her tone serious. "Daddy, what if it's my destiny?!"

"Genesis Rose Annabelle White. Your _destiny_ is not hidden in a little white box, I'll tell you that. Maybe you should go back to bed. It's 4:23 am"

"But Daddy..." She drew out, sounding just like her mother, pleading to find the box. He sighed and went into the closet, pulling out a blue and gold chest with a cursive "E" on top.

"Somehow I wonder if whatever your grandparents fed you last night was not at all good for you" he joked as she rolled her eyes and laughed.

"Hurry up, dad! And the only thing with added sugar that I ate was Nana's Apple Pie. She didn't want you to get upset because she got me on a sugar high"

He shook his head, opening the chest. He immediately smelled the same vanilla rose scent from the letters from Evie.

"This is my mom's trunk?" She asked. Doug gave a simple nod, taking out a white dress two scrapbooks, a diary, a capsule, five envelopes, a key and lastly the little white box.

"Whoa" Genesis whispered as Doug took the dress and unfolded it carefully. He laid it on the bed and Genesis admired the intricate lace ¾ sleeves and the sweetheart neckline that came off the shoulders.

"She wore that when you guys got married? It's stunning"

"She was stunning" he said memories flashing before his eyes. Her walking down the aisle, the two of them exchanging rings, their first kiss as a married couple, dancing into the night and riding home under the moonlit night sky.

When he snapped out of his trance, he looked to see Genesis opening the white box. She gasped as she saw a tiny key and a test tube. The test tube was full of a clear liquid that sparkled in the light.

"I wonder what it is" Genesis said as Doug frowned.

"It looks like it's water. But why would she give you water?"

"I don't know" Genesis said hiding the mini key. She had a feeling it unlocked one of her Mom's diaries she had found earlier that week. She wasn't yet ready to show her dad her findings, so she slipped it in her pajama pants pocket, collecting the white box and she smiled.

"We'll figure that out later" he said still focused on the few pictures in the trunk.

"Hey, dad?" Genesis asked. Doug looked up.

"Can I go to Eli's house?"

"Not at this hour, but later, yes. When do his parents get back? He's your friend who lives with his grandparents, right?" Doug asked.

"Yeah, his parents are divorced. But his mom comes back next week, I think" she said as her dad nodded and put the things back into the trunk, closing the top. He wheeled it back into the closet.

"See you later, dad" Genesis said, leaving the room and going into her own. Doug closed his door and went back to sleep.

He awoke to find a note from Genesis, scribbled on a sheet of paper.

_Daddy, went to Eli's. I'll be back home by the time you leave for Nana and Gramps. _

He folded the note, discarding it and blended up fruit for his usual smoothie.

He remembered when she was just his little girl, his little munchkin that always had the biggest smile on her face.

Now she was a confident young lady. He couldn't be happier.


	8. How to be a Daughter

"Eli, I really think my mom was in my dream. She was the angel who told me about the box" Genesis said. Eli rose a brow with doubt.

"Are you sure, Nessie? I mean how could she be in your dream. Why would she give you a test tube with some water in it and a tiny key?"

"Then who was in my dream then? Why'd I have to go in her trunk? And Eli, we tested the liquid. It's not water. It's some kind of magical liquid" Genesis noted. Eli shrugged.

"Wait, so whatever you put the liquid on, it could become magical?"

"Maybe. But the key, see?" She showed him the three locked diaries. "It opens one of them. Well I tried it and it opens this one"

She slid the book with a gold E written in cursive on the blue leather background. "This one"

He examined it as he flipped through the pages, finding a Polaroid that looked fairly old.

"She looks just like you, Ness" He said picking the picture up and placing it in front of him as he compared his friend and her mother.

"More like I look just like her. And hear me out. Promise you won't freak"

"I pinky promise on the life of me" he said intertwining their pinkies.

"Well, I read a letter that she left me. She said I have sections of her DNA. Like literal replicated sections of her DNA"

"But how is that even possible?" He asked, looking at the other pictures, doodles and notes in the book. He even found a list of potential baby names, dated back to when she was in high school. He chuckled as Genesis was number 4, listed after Eva, Emalia and Anjali.

"She used magic to ensure that I'd stick around. She had a lot of trouble with me. None of my parents other children made it to the third trimester"

"Oh, so they really wanted you?" He asked. She nodded as she played with the test tube.

"You know, my dad said that my mom often went to the beach that looked out to the Isle. It was one of the things that reminded her of her younger years. On the Isle, she used to look out to that side of Auradon wishing she could splash her feet in the clear blue water"

"So that sample of water is from that part of the peninsula? That's still odd. And what's so special about it?" Eli asked as he stopped at one of the pages in the book.

It was the last page that had a sketch of the red heart necklace and a waterfall. "Wait, Nessie, look"

Genesis looked down and examined the page. There was a small inscription. _Drops from the Enchanted Lake on my ruby necklace might render magic. _

"Drops from the Enchanted Lake on my ruby necklace might render magic," Eli read. "Are you following?"

"10-1. My mom left me drops of the enchanted lake? I mean I could go there if I wanted Enchanted Lake water. What's so special about that?"

"No, but look here. She wrote The Healing Flower's pollen is a rare material that can alter time, space and the nature of the world. So she added pollen to the enchanted water to make it even more powerful. But why did she want you to alter the nature of time and space" Eli said as he took out his compact encyclopedia flipping through the pages to find the healing flower.

"You're such a geek, Eli Jalali. You and my dad would get along like peas in a pod. Actually, you wanna meet him this weekend?"

"Yeah, sure. He owns Doc Laboratories, right? My mom is looking for a new job since NASA laid her off last month and she actually applied there"

"Yep, he does. I'm sure she'll get in. Since we're friends, I'm sure my dad and his team will make an acception. Plus, she worked for NASA. She has to be really good" Genesis said with a smile. Eli nodded.

"She and my dad used to work together before they divorced. Well, and I guess since my dad passed six years ago," he said. She looked over, her face dropping.

"Your dad died?" She asked as he nodded. "I'm sorry"

"Hey, I remember someone said something, a few months ago that she doesn't want all that pity party. I don't either"

"Oh, shut up" she laughed. Together they closed the book, checked with his grandparents for permission to take a bike ride and off and went to the park, meeting up with some other friends.

* * *

It was two in the afternoon when Genesis came back home. Her dad was talking to someone as he gave her a wave. She changed from her jeans and t-shirt to a red skater dress and red high tops.

Combing her hair back, she peeked her head from the hallway into the kitchen where he was pacing.

"Evie?! You're really bringing her up, dad?!" Doug nearly yelled. "I've made mistakes, but one of them was not Evie. I'm glad we're not related. I'm sure my biological father would have accepted whoever I married. Even then, respected the name of my late wife"

"Daddy?" Genesis whispered softly. His face clearly spoke his annoyance as his face turned red.

"Hold on a sec, Genesis" he said with a stern voice. The teen was taken aback, worry forming on her face. She stood in the dining room, listening to the conversation go on.

"I will not get over Evie, Mom. I don't care whether you want me to or not, but I am not going to remarry right now. This is really what you invited me over for? Was to reprimand me of every witchcraft of a mistake I've made in my life?!"

He slammed his phone on the table and put his face in his hands. "Hades, Evie. Why did you have to die?!"

"Daddy?" Genesis tried again as this time he didn't respond.

"Let's go to your grandparents, so they can drive me to insanity" Doug said with a scowl. Genesis nodded, grabbing her things and following her dad out the door.

As they rode to the resort, Genesis finally decided to explain her findings. "Eli and I found that the key opens one of her diaries and the water isn't actually water, it's—" she barely got out before her dad's phone rang and he pressed the talk button on the touchscreen system on the dashboard.

"Hey, Daisy. Of course he called you" he said as he looked in the rear view mirror and put his finger up, motioning for Genesis to hold on a moment.

The teen groaned in annoyance as he spoke to his sister until they reached the resort.

"Blueberry, what were you going to say?" He asked. She shook her head and instead ran up the steps where Annabelle and Dopey stood. They embraced the girl as Doug walked right past them, taking a seat on a side chair in the living room.

"Well, how's my favourite granddaughter?" Dopey said to Genesis as she smiled.

"I'm good. Straight As again this semester" she said taking a seat with her grandparents on the sofa.

Annabelle chuckled. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you, kiddo. Do you miss having a mom, sweetie?"

"I mean I didn't really know her. But lately, yes," she answered. Annabelle nodded, glancing at her son. Doug shook his head in disapproval at the way his mother was attempting to show him that he should remarry.

"No, I mean do you want a maternal figure in your life? Other than your Aunts and I," she said as Genesis glanced at her dad and back to her grandmother.

"I mean I guess. All my other friends have moms and so I'd like to be able to have a mother-daughter relationship"

"So what would you think if I remarried?" Doug said straight to the point. His parents eyed him for being so blunt. In return, he just shrugged. Genesis' eyes widened and she sat still.

"Like, what do I think of you having a girlfriend?" He nodded.

"Hypothetically" He clarified as she frowned.

"No. No. No. No. No. It's all wrong. You can't. You and my mom promised to love only each other"

"Until death do us part, Genesis" he reminded her.

"Maybe you should wait. Or maybe I'm fine with my Aunts and Nana" she said, beginning to panic.

"Well, I want you to have a mother, Genesis. Your Aunts each have their own things to tend to, and I won't always be here. Grandpa and I are moving from Charmington to The Summerlands" she said as Genesis' heart dropped.

"What?"

"We're retiring. Your Aunt Daisy is going to take over Meditation Springs" Annabelle said as she smiled and Doug nodded.

"Nana, but what about me and dad. You've been here for everything. You guys can't leave. I haven't even graduated yet" Genesis cried as they both sighed.

"We'll be back for events and such, Genesis. But we're at the legal age of retirement. And we'd like to relax a bit in a calmer environment like The Summerlands" Dopey said.

"The Summerlands are calmer than Meditation Springs?! It's even in the pamphlet description that we're one of the calmest locations in Auradon" Genesis argued. Doug cleared his throat.

"Gen, things are changing. Your grandparents are going to move whether you want them to or not"

"But you won't remarry, right?" She asked as he sighed.

"I doubt it, but I can't promise you that I won't. That is definitely something I'll have to determine as time goes on" Doug replied.

Dopey muttered something and Annabelle agreed as she whispered back to him.

"Is there something you wanted to say? Something that I should hear? I'm sorry, but I can't hear when people speak so quietly" Doug bitterly commented. He stared at his parents, their eyes stone cold.

The both shook their heads as if they were ashamed. "Evie was just a portion of your life. You still have so much life to live. But sulking about Evie is unhealthy. And for Genesis, you want a mother figure don't you?" Dopey asked that girl, placing her in the middle of the situation. Genesis widened her eyes, suddenly understanding her place in all this.

"I don't want to do anything to make my dad do something he doesn't want to. He said he doesn't mourn over my mom anymore either. I don't want to be a puppet in the middle, each side pulling my strings" Genesis stood up and went into the kitchen.

"There goes your plan" Doug said as he cleaned his lenses. Annabelle and Dopey both sighed.

They each got up and silently went into the kitchen to prepare dinner. If anything, they wanted to be on everyone's good side by the end of the visit. There was nothing more saddening to the two of them than to not be on good terms with their son, daughter and granddaughter.

Over dinner, Genesis was the first to speak. "Eli, my friend, his mom used to travel around the country for NASA, but she was laid off. She applied for Doc Laboratories. She's really good at science. She has her PhD in Astronomy. You should review her file"

"I don't know of any open positions at Doc right now, I'll have to check with Engleton. I also don't directly hire people, Gen. I may own the place, but I don't have much of a say in the hiring process"

"Say," Annabelle began. "Eli's mom, right? The divorced, widow of Zach Fortson?"

"Yeah. Why?" Genesis asked. Annabelle and Dopey looked at each other and nodded

"Sounds like someone your father should meet. I'm sure you two would get on well. She's delightful and a very witty woman. I met her at a conference and we were on the same council of public engagement. Her late ex-husband used to work in the arts with your cousin Bill"

"I don't think so. I'm really not interested in anyone right now. I mean since you two get on so well, I don't mind meeting my daughter's friend's mom, but that's a little too fast paced" Doug said with a slight eye roll as Annabelle sighed.

"I only want what's best for you" the blonde woman said as they ate in silence.

"You know what? How about we move on from this. Everyone is in a bad mood right now. We should play cards after dinner. That always puts Gramps in a better mood anyway" Genesis said, clapping her hands together.

All three adults reluctantly agreed and Genesis beamed.

* * *

When Doug and Genesis arrived back home, they refrigerated the raspberry tart from the resort and went their separate ways.

Doug was in the living room when Genesis came out of her room, her pajamas on. "Daddy?"

"Yeah?" he said flatly. He wasn't interested in engaging in her initiation of a conversation.

"Um, do you know anything about the healing flower? And the Enchanted Lake?"

"Not really. Why?"

"Oh. Mom wrote in her diary that their use together creates a supernatural phenomenon"

"Your Mom had a wild imagination" he said coldly as she frowned. She looked at her dad who's eyes were focused solely on the papers in front of him.

"Are you saying she made things up? It was in her diary, Dad. Eli and I used his mom's microscope to investigate the test tube. It's not just water. It's magical water"

Doug looked up and frowned. "Genesis, what are you talking about? Sometimes our imaginations run away from us"

"Really?! It's true! Eli and I figured it out. She was the one in my dream who told me to find the box and left me the magical substance"

"Genesis, your mom is dead. She was not in your dream, nor is that magical water" he said as his tone raised. Genesis' eyebrow contracted.

"I know, but she—l"

"You don't know anything about your mother, Genesis! All of this extra is unnecessary. Suddenly you're obsessed with solving whatever she left behind. It's nonsense! She's gone, get over it!" He yelled. His face was flushed and his voice, bitter.

Genesis turned around, her eyes stinging. She bit her lip to stop the tears from cascading down her face. She turned around as he didn't bother to look up.

"I—I wish mom was here. I hate you" she said, the tears spilling from her eyes. She ran back into her room. She didn't bother to listen either when he called for her. Sitting alone observing the blue diary on her bed, she felt her tears dropping into the book.

"Mommy, I miss you" she said quietly as she ripped out the page with the Enchanted Lake and the healing flower drawn in it. Crumpling it, she threw it across the room.

She stared at the ball of paper, trying to focus her eyes from the glossiness of her tears.

Suddenly a voice played in her head. The voice was quiet and soft. As if it was reminding her of something. A sweet, light voice that she remembered. The same voice that used to sing her lullabies.

"I used to talk to you and you were always so still, as if you were listening and trying to remember my voice. It hurts to know I'll never get to see you and be your mommy, but remember that I'll always be apart of you. Your daddy was the most supportive, sweet, smart, special and amazing person in my life. I'm sure he's told you about me and he was there every step of the way, leading to you. He changed everything for me. When he seems to get upset, that is just him dealing with his loss of me. I know this because he'd get upset when we'd talk of what could happen, and I guess what ended up happening."

Genesis blinked a few times before she felt a heartbeat on her chest. She looked down and saw a glint of blue light leave the necklace, the heart turning red again.

Her brows furrowed as she tapped the necklace, rubbed it and flipped it over. But nothing happened.

She made a note of it, before she replayed the words in her head again. _Maybe I do remember my mom. She said she used to sing and talk to me. Maybe I really did save some memories. And I guess I should be more mindful of Dad. He's just as hurt, maybe even more than I am. _

She took it upon herself to write him a note, slipping it under his door that was now closed. She peeked out to see the downstairs level, pitch black and the only lights coming from her room and from under his door.

She sighed and closed her door. She wrapped the necklace in the diary, closing it as best she could. As she turned out her lamp and got inside her covers, she pulled the duvet up over her head.

But she just happened to miss the moment the necklace touched the wet teardrops stains that she left in the diary.

The blue spark came and left as it lit up the room.

"I love you, Genesis"


	9. How to Forgive

Two days had passed, and Genesis had successfully avoided her father on multiple occasions. Yes, it was quite difficult to do when you're still a minor and just can't completely ignore your father.

She'd walk up early and get dressed, eat her breakfast alone, and leave a note to her dad when she went out to the bus stop. Even when he tried to speak to her, she'd simply nod her head or shake it.

Genesis still had ill feelings toward how her dad lashed out at her Sunday night. And she did know her mom. Well... more like she knew _about_ her. But one thing that she couldn't quite understand was that he said he didn't know about the enchanted lake or the healing flower. As knowledgeable as her dad was, she didn't believe that he knew nothing about it.

Sitting in class, this was all that was on her mind. In the front row, off to the side, she watched the wind blow the grass and wildflowers in the yard of the school. As her mind wandered, she felt a nudge on her shoulder. Turning back to face the rest of the room, she realized the other students had left. Eli stood next to her desk, his crossbody messenger bag over his shoulder.

"Hey, you've been out of it today," he said as she hurried to place her notebook, binder and pencils in her bag. She stood up out of her desk and slung her bag over her shoulders.

"Yeah. My dad lashed out at me Sunday night, so I've been giving him the silent treatment" Genesis admitted as the friends walked out of the classroom and down the hall.

Luckily English had been her last course of the day and she was going to follow Eli home to hang out. The two of them shared many of the same courses, they just didn't have the same hours.

"Really? What'd he say?"

"It was about how much I don't know my mom and how my mom probably made up all that stuff about the healing flower and the enchanted lake. I just don't understand how he could have known nothing about it. I mean he's literally like a living encyclopedia. He knows _everything_"

"Maybe he just didn't want to talk about it. My mom avoids talking about my dad all the time" Eli suggested. They stopped in front of her locker and she spun the lock to open it. Taking her jacket out of the locker and closing it again, she turned to face Eli.

"I guess, but it was honestly a simple question. He was upset with my grandparents at dinner because they want him to remarry and told him to let go of my mom. They even tried to put me in the middle of the situation"

Taking her backpack off, and putting on her zip-up hoodie, she put her backpack back on and the two of them went out the main doors.

"He probably just didn't want to talk about her anymore and took his annoyance out on you. I'm sure he probably got upset with you because he was upset with them"

"Yeah, it's just not fair, you know" Genesis complained. Eli nodded in agreement. The two passed by Jane on their way down the main steps of the academic hall of Auradon Prep. She stood in the same place everyday after school, ensuring the students who did not stay on campus got on their respective buses.

Genesis was given the choice to stay at Auradon Prep as her parents did, but she chose to stay with her dad. Something in her heart had told her that with her mother gone, it would be awkward to leave home. Besides, her dad was a little too protective of his daughter and worried she'd have trouble adjusting if she stayed on campus and extend her liberties of independence like he knew students did.

As they passed by the headmistress, Genesis suddenly remembered the night of her 16th birthday. When she told her Aunt about the letter. Jane never really told the rest of the group very much about Evie's situation. Out of everyone, Jane had told Mal more information, but even then, she managed to keep most of the content a secret. And so if her Aunt knew about the situation, Genesis could probably find her knowledge useful. She stopped in her tracks and Eli turned back around.

"Nessie, we're going to miss the bus. My grandma hates it when she had to drive out here to pick us up" Eli reminded her as he reluctantly followed his friend.

Still, Genesis ran up the steps back to the headmistress. Jane smiled at her niece and gestured for a hug.

"Hey, Gen, how are you?" Jane asked giving the girl a warm hug.

Out of all of her extended family, Jane had the warmest hugs.

"Okay. Dad and I are kind of at odds. But I just had a quick question about my mom" Genesis said. She watched the headmistress' face suddenly drop. Jane gave the girl a small smile.

"Gen, I don't think I have time. You've got to get on your bus. Maybe another time" Jane said quickly looking away.

With a sigh, Genesis began to turn around toward Eli. But she stopped herself. She was going to get answers one way or another. Plus, she knew some of her mother's journey already. _So what was the real problem, anyway? _

"The healing flower that Rapunzel's mother used. Mom said she used it and Enchanted Lake water in her diary" Genesis blurted. "Do you know anything about it"

Jane frowned. "I do" she had a little more flatness in her tone before and seemed aloof. "I'm sorry, but not now, Gen. Not now"

Genesis' hope fell as she pressed her lips tightly and closed her eyes. She returned to look at her Aunt a forced smile on her face. "Okay"

"Have a good evening, Gen and Eli" Jane said, with a small wave. The two teens nodded and ran to catch their bus. Just barely making it before the doors closed, the two of them took the only open seat in the front.

Slouching into the leather, Eli panted with heavy breaths. "Never again, Nessie"

"Well I just had to ask," Genesis defending her action. "Usually she's so nice and willing to help me with anything. But that was just odd. Obviously she doesn't want to talk about it, but why?"

"Same reason why your dad doesn't want to talk about it" Eli reasoned. She took out his phone, texting his grandmother that they were on their way home. "Plus, it kind of was bad timing. I mean she probably didn't expect to have to think about your mom at school so suddenly"

"If you say so, but something is really going to have to happen. I'm going to get answers whether they want me to or not. It's not fair that all the adults in my family are keeping secrets. At least I know that she took the supplement to save me, but there has to be something else I don't know" Genesis sighed. Eli glanced over his shoulder from his phone and smirked.

"You're one of the most determined people I know"

"My Aunt Mal said I get it from my mom" Genesis said, peeking out of her window. "So, what'd your grandma say?"

"My mom is back today, but she's going on a blind date an old friend of the arts set up a while ago. I wish my grandma would have told me earlier. It's kind of weird, though. I would have guessed my mom was going to come home and relax" Eli said, his voice soft. He resorted to staring at his blank phone screen, occasionally pressing the home button where the image was of he and his mom. The bus stopped to let a group of kids off, and continued down the road.

"Yeah, maybe she's meeting a really nice guy. I have no idea what I'd do if my dad suddenly just went on a date without really letting me know" Genesis responded, putting her arm across her friend's shoulder as he smiled.

"It's whatever. I kind of want her to find someone, you know. It would be nice to have a dad again" Eli admitted. Genesis smiled, surprised by what he commented.

The bus made another stop, this time, at Enchancia Drive. They lived in an almost suburb of Auradon City that was close to the center, but a little ways away where there were bigger yards and the Enchanted Forest, just a few blocks away. The two of them thanked their driver and walked down the steps.

"Let me drop my stuff off at home, then I'll be across at your place," Genesis said as the two separated. "Make sure you save me some cocadas before you eat them all!" She yelled across the street to Eli who laughed, shaking his head.

"Can't promise that" he yelled back, this time Genesis laughing as she walked inside her house. Closing the door and throwing her backpack on the bench. She took off her shoes and peeked into the kitchen and then to the living room.

"Dad?" She called. Usually he was home by now, especially on a Wednesday. "Dad?"

She heard the sound of someone coming down the steps, her dad appearing. He was talking to someone on his phone, clearly in distress. "Hey, Gen. one minute" he said, going into his office and closing the door.

Genesis raised a brow and sneakily stood by the wall, placing her ear against it, hoping to get some information.

"_Daisy, I really didn't ask for this. Tell Mom that this is really excessive. I told Gen I wouldn't_" Doug said his voice frantic.

"_I haven't been on a date in over 14 years. Remember when you set me up with that park ranger. That was a complete and utter fail. She hated kids and found Genesis to be a nuisance. What if this woman can't deal with a 16 year old_?"

"_How do you know she has a son? You've met her? No, you haven't said too much. Wait, Daisy. Wait, no—Dais_" Doug grumbled in annoyance as he set his phone down, before standing up and opening the door again. Genesis already had tiptoed into the kitchen, looking in the refrigerator, her heart beating fast.

"Sorry, Gen. I've got a—well, a—date" he managed to get out. Genesis closed the refrigerator and nodded her head, trying to process the words and the conversation she had heard.

"Right... so, do you know who she is?"

"No. It's a blind date" Doug said awkwardly, well aware that his daughter had been avoiding him.

"A blind date," Genesis repeated slowly, as she realized that the same set of words had been heard earlier that day. On the bus with Eli. In reference to his mom's blind date. Her eyes got wide and she shook her head, gulping.

"No, no. Are you sure? Maybe it's another day. A blind date, today?" She asked in disbelief. _This can't be happening_, Genesis thought.

"I'm positive. And I apologize, Gen. About Sunday. It was entirely inappropriate. I shouldn't have lashed out at you for asking questions. I know you want to learn about your mom, and I need to respect that. Sometimes it gets a little crazy, especially thinking about her and your grandparents. That's no excuse, but I'm sorry" Doug apologized as Genesis attempted to smile, but got no where.

"I forgive you dad. I'm sorry for saying I hate you, but I really gotta go. When do you leave?" Genesis asked suddenly rushing to grab her sneakers and her backpack. She ran upstairs, sifting through her drawer, finding the diary, necklace and test tube. "Oh My Auradon," she mumbled to herself.

"Seven," Doug answered confused as to his daughter's strange behavior. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, going to Eli's. I'll have dinner there if that's fine with you" Genesis said calling to him from the landing of the stairs. She had the items in her backpack, the latter being slung around one of her shoulders, her shoes halfway on.

"Uh, yeah. I'll be back at 9:30, so if you want to come back earlier, that'd be good" he said as Genesis nodded her head, nearly whizzing past him towards the door.

"See ya dad!" She called, leaving the house and running across the street to Eli's. She rang the bell and smiled when his grandmother opened the door, greeting her with a hug.

"Genesis, how are you? A little disheveled, eh?" The woman said, letting Genesis go slightly, brushing the girl's blue hair out of her face.

"I'm okay, Mrs. Jalali. Eli's upstairs?" Genesis asked, taking off her shoes and coat.

"Yes, but I will call him down. He waited for you this time to eat the cocadas" She chuckled.

Genesis laughed going to the kitchen, finding the warm coconut treats on the table.

Eli came into the room and sat across from her. Mrs. Jalali peeked into the kitchen and waved. "I'll be in the den if you need me. Your mother, Eli, will be home at five before she goes to dinner"

Nodding in understanding, Eli smiled. "Alright," The woman left the room and Genesis immediately spilled what she'd found out.

"My dad is going on a blind date tonight" Genesis blurted. Eli looked up from his half-eaten cocada, not quite registering her words "Your mom is going on a blind date tonight, too"

Eli almost spat out his food as he looked her straight in the eyes. "My mom and your dad..." he trailed off, choking on his food. He coughed continuously before he managed to wheeze the rest of his sentence out. "...are going on a blind date with _each other_?!"

"Indeed, Eli. Indeed. And get this, my aunt and grandma set him up, so your mom knows my family. Anndd," Genesis drew out. "My dad said his date has a son. So I suppose that's you"

"Yeah. So like what happens if they end up liking each other?" Eli asked, gulping down a glass of water and grabbing another cocada. With no immediate answer, he glanced at Genesis who had a hard stare in her eyes.

"We've just gotta make sure they don't fall in love"

* * *

Sitting at a table for two, at a high end restaurant, Doug adjusted his blue bow tie for the umpteenth time. He had been sitting there for approximately five minutes awaiting the woman his friends had set him up with.

It wasn't much longer when a woman in a burgundy form-fitting two strap dress arrived, her matching burgundy heels clicking.

Making her way to the table, Doug stood up, and greeted her. "Hi, I'm Doug" he said as she stuck her hand out giving his a firm shake.

"Alright, Doug. I'm Ava. It's nice to meet you" she said taking her seat. Doug took his and smiled.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting, my son just had to give me the longest hello in the world. But I haven't seen him in person for ten months" she said with a smile.

"Oh, I understand. My daughter wasn't exactly happy I had a date tonight" Doug chuckled.

"Really? My son was actually more excited than I would have guessed. How old is your daughter?" Ava asked just as the waiter came by with an alcohol bottle.

"May we offer you a taste of complimentary Rosé?" The man asked, his voice in monotone as if he'd been doing this all day.

Doug shook her head and so did Ava. The waiter told them he'd be back as he walked away to another table.

"Well then, you don't drink?" Ava asked.

"No, I think I stopped while my wife—late wife was carrying our daughter" Doug said, catching his words. His cheeks turned a rosy pink as he looked down. "And you?"

Ava caught his words and smiled shyly. "I'm sorry for your loss. I don't. I had a really bad alcohol experience after the loss of my college boyfriend"

"Oh, well I'm sorry for your loss. To answer your last question, my daughter is 16"

"Wow! You're the first person I've gone out with who had a child my son's age. Usually they're childless, have very young children or hate them!" Ava exclaimed, seemingly in a better mood.

"Yes!" Doug agreed and they both laughed. The waiter coming back to take their appetizer orders.

As they both ordered salad, the conversation evolved from what salad they liked, to what they did for a living. "I actually own Doc Laboratories in East Enchancia"

"No, kidding!" Ava said taking a sip of her water. "I worked at NASA for sometime. I designed some of the space suits, but I also configured a lot of security barriers and such. I'm a little bit of a tech and coding geek. I always thought I'd go into the fashion field, but my feet landed me in the tech world"

Doug smiled with a nod. Suddenly, his thoughts landed on her mention of NASA. Within a split second, understanding who this woman was. Putting the pieces together he realized this was the woman his mother had brought up at dinner that past Sunday. "I hate to sound a little strange, but does your son happen to be Eli Jalali?" he questioned.

Ava's eyes widened and she cocked her head. Her brows furrowed and she slowly nodded. "Yes, why?"

"My daughter, Genesis is best friends with Eli. When you brought up NASA, I remember my daughter mentioned that assumably you had left the company"

A simple "oh" was all that left Ava's mouth. "That's a little odd, I suppose. I didn't know Genesis was your daughter. Eli mentioned her a few months ago. I suppose that is very odd" she giggled.

Doug agreed, both parties now seated in silence. He cursed himself for mentioning it as he glanced at Ava looking across the room whose hands were under her chin. Doug focused on the water in front of him.

"Well, we sure have a lot in common. We're single parents of sophomores, both in the science industry, both pretty awkward" she said a smirk crossing her face as Doug looked up.

He laughed, "We do"

Something about Ava made him feel a little strange. He couldn't identify what that feeling was. It felt like the moment Evie had crossed his path for the first time. It was a special feeling and one that he never thought anyone but Evie would leave him with. But they had. And her name was Ava.

"How about some fresh air?" Doug suggested glancing back up at her as Ava made eye contact with him and nodded her head.

"Sure"

That one word evolved into a walk around town, stopping only for an item Ava noticed in a store window. He even told her he'd text her the Lab's new employee application. It was when they arrived back at the restaurant, the creation of another date happened out of the blue.

"Next Saturday?" Ava asked to make sure he was free.

"Yep,"

As she put it in her calendar, a smile formed on her face, looking up towards Doug. He reciprocated the look and put out his hand, surprised when she instead went in for a hug.

"I had a wonderful time" Doug said.

"Me, too" Ava replied, a bright red blush on her cheeks.

* * *

Genesis lay in bed, her eyes wide open. It was already 10, and her dad was yet to arrive home.

It was still unbelievable that her Aunt Daisy and her grandma managed to set her dad up with her best friend's mom. _Her best friend's mom, of all people_!

They had discussed the matter and Eli even asked her what it would be like to be step-siblings. Genesis quickly denounced the words that came out of his mouth, laughing at the possibility. It wouldn't happen. More like it couldn't happen on her watch.

That evening, she didn't get anywhere in the search for what caused the blue light, either. Besides being focused on her dad and Eli's mom (of whom she avoided meeting), the phenomenon wasn't making sense.

Just as she turned out her lamp, she heard footsteps climbing the stairs and a knock on her door.

"It's open"

Her dad turned the non, walking inside. She turned her lamp back on and saw the beaming smile on his face.

"So?" Genesis inquired hoping the date hadn't turned out to be exactly what she had grown afraid of. "Couldn't stand her?"

Doug's smile left his face and his brows furrowed the slightest bit. "No. Not at all. I actually really like her. I know it's new for the both of us, but it might be a good thing"

"What could possibly be good about dating my best friend's mom?!" Genesis blurted, her voice nearly hysterical. Doug sighed and took a seat on the edge of her bed where she sat up. He took off his glasses, putting them back on as he played with the wedding ring that was back on his finger after he had taken it off before dinner.

"Gen. We know. But sometimes you can't rewrite the feelings you get for someone. Am I saying I want to marry her, like I did when I first met your mom? No. All I'm saying is I liked spending time with her"

The room was silent, Genesis processing his every word, her plot circulating through her head. _How do I know their liking won't evolve? Everything is going so fast. I'm sorry, dad, but it's going to be me or Ava. So I'm going to play it the hard way. _

"Will you promise me you won't end up falling in love with Ava?" She said as the ruby heart necklace pulsated on her chest, a flicker of blue flashing from it.

Her words caught Doug off guard. The blue haired teen watched her dad's face gradually lose emotion. He looked to his daughter and then to his wedding ring, the day he married Evie engraved on on side of the band. He rubbed it, opening his mouth.

"I promise, kiddo"

* * *

**A/N: Just FYI, this book loosely incorporates Sofia's character Ava. In the Perfectionists franchise, Sofia's character is supposed to be Iranian. Sofia as we know, is Colombian-American. I am going with the narrative that the Jalali's have Colombian roots. Cocadas are eaten all over Latin America, including Colombia. **


	10. How to Read Between the Lines

One week since his first date in 14 years, Doug had been oddly quiet around Genesis, despite insisting that nothing was wrong. Genesis lied on her bed in her room. The lamp on the nightstand, giving light to her mother's diary and the sample tube of magical liquid. At 3 in the afternoon, she awaited her dad to arrive home from _another_ date with Ava. Or what he now referenced as "a friendly meeting of conversation."

The blue-haired teen knew that the sudden change in his demeanor had something to do with the moment he promised her that he and Ava wouldn't fall in love. She felt a tinge of guilt about it, but had to suppress those feelings. In respect of her mother, she knew this wasn't what was supposed to happen. Her father simply couldn't fall in love with someone who wasn't named Evie.

At least that's what helped her to go to sleep at night. That and the pulse of the heart necklace.

It had also been about a week since the pulsation begun. Every night, the heart necklace would flash blue, then return to its normal color, but not before a heartbeat would beat upon her chest.

It was strange, but Genesis believed it was tied to when the necklace flashed two Sundays ago. The night when she got her _own_ tears on it. Ever since, she had tried generating her tears with onions and yawns, but nothing seemed to penetrate the necklace.

She flipped through the blue leather diary, the pages still filled with the scent of vanilla and roses. The curly handwriting danced across the pages, a few small drawings in the corners and woven around the borders. She continued to read the entries, landing to a much brighter page with a variety of pastel colors all over it.

In large brush script, _Auradon_ was written.

She flipped the page, finding a small drawing of a crown resembling King Ben's to which she laughed at. Under it read, "_not into me, but his crown is gorgeous._"

The entry covered her first thoughts about Auradon from "the Princess who doesn't get enough beauty sleep" who shot down the fact that Evie was a Princess, to the pink dorms. She even mentioned the _awkward son of her familial enemy_ who responded to her flirtation.

"Wow" Genesis whispered to herself, her voice soft. Engaged in her mother's stories, she flipped the page to where a stick figure with blond hair had devil's horns and a tail.

She supposed that was Chad Charming and was proven correct by the description under her drawing. The page thoroughly described the moment Evie sprayed the blonde prince with a potion and was betrayed by none other than the person she would go on to marry.

Genesis' lips curled into a smile as she chuckled at the way her mother felt that it was over between she and her then "study buddy."

_Well, that clearly wasn't then end_, Genesis thought.

Her eyes traced along the page where there was discoloring. An arrow pointed to the spots of discoloration, a description reading that she was really crying over someone who clearly didn't think of her anymore than an evil villain.

The ink was smudged but next to it was another arrow.

_This is an emotional tear which has more enzymes and antibodies than a reflex tear. It's stronger because it's staining the page. _

Reading it slower for a second time aloud to herself, it was as if a lightbulb lit up her mind. "That's it!" Genesis nearly screamed in the air. She scrambled around her room for the series of letters and the heart shaped necklace. Emptying the contents of her drawer, she pulled out a white gift box.

With the diary in hand, a smile grew on her face as she eyed the heart necklace.

She read the letters, one by one, her heart stinging with hurt as it reminded her of the reality she'd never get to meet her mother. Within minutes, tears fell out of her eyes.

She swiped a tear onto the heart necklace, a tiny circle glowing blue, appeared. She took out the sample tube and dipped the tip of finger into it, placing the droplet on the necklace.

Before she knew it, something was wrong. The necklace's light blinded her eyes and the blue glow grew brighter and brighter. A large pulse of energy drew force on her, pushing her against the closet, leaving her eyes shut tight. Through her closed eyes, Genesis realized that the blue glow was no longer there. As she heard a loud thump, one eye of hers opened.

Trying to catch her breath, she opened the other one and breathed out a short squeak in shock, trying to form words, but had no luck.

A woman, her hair as blue as the ocean, her skin as smooth as porcelain, laid on the wooden floor. Her eyes were closed and she lay peacefully.

Genesis stood up, using the doorknob of the closet as aid. Though her head felt heavy and her knees were weak, she managed to stand. Slowly walking towards the body on her floor, her mouth was wide open.

The heart necklace was glowing blue instead of red, inside the palm of the woman. She carefully walked around her, trying to evaluate the situation.

In disbelief, Genesis got on her knees next to the woman's hand and took the necklace from her palm. She gently moved her arm, getting no response back. Genesis began to freak out as the woman laid still. She couldn't tell if she was breathing or not.

She looked as still as Snow White.

_As still as Snow White. _

_Oh, Auradon_... Genesis thought. She knew that story and her parent's story all too well. She knew that when her dad had been under a sleeping spell, her mother had woken him with true love's kiss. There was no way she could manage to bring her father in her room and explain to him why a woman who was probably his late wife was unconscious.

_Was this even her mother? _

Fretting as she stood up from the woman, she paced around the room. Her breathing quickening with her racing heart.

"Okay. So I just rendered magic with my tears and the magical liquid. There's blue light glowing from the heart necklace. Now there's some lady who I'm positive is my deceased mother in my room. She kinda needs to be brought back to consciousness. So... you should wake her up" Genesis rambled, putting her palm on her forehead.

"What are you thinking?!" She groaned at her own self. She eyed the body in the middle of her room. "This is insane. I must be going mad."

Just as she opened her door to find some fresh air and get a moment to think, she saw her dad walk upstairs.

"Hey, Gen" he said with a smile on his face. Genesis quickly closed her door, a grin finding its way across her mouth. She awkwardly held onto the door handle as he raised a brow. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Just working on homework. You know how it is. AP Physics has really got me!" She said with a forced laugh.

Doug's eyes still were concerned. However, he let it slide, assuming she was upset with his "meeting" with Ava. "I'll leave you to work then. Physics was never really my thing, either. Any suggestion for dinner?"

"Nope. Whatever you want is great. I'm going to go back now" she said opening the door just wide enough for her frame to slide through. Doug nodded his head, concerned.

_I'll check with her later_, Doug thought.

As Genesis returned to her room, she sighed in relief. It was empty. It was _empty_?

Realizing that the woman who she assumed was her mother was gone, she began to panic.

"Um... Miss?" Genesis called as she looked under her bed, completely missing the open closet door. Upon noticing it, she took a peek inside the small room and her jaw dropped. It was her mother. Or a woman with an uncanny resemblance to her mother.

Genesis stood in awe. She looked even more like her mother standing up straight. From the woman's chocolatey eyes warmly staring into her own, to the blue hair and the few freckles, _everything_.

Standing before her, Genesis couldn't believe it and had no idea what to say. But luckily, the woman took that into her own hands. Stepping forward out of the closet, the woman smiled, a bright and radiant gesture lighting up Genesis' heart.

"Hi there" The woman said, her voice as soft as velvet.

Genesis' voice squeaked as no audible words were to be uttered out of the young teen's mouth. _This was physically impossible. Her mother died years ago. How was she standing before her now? Unless... her mother planned this like everything else. She planned to alter the nature and time of the world with herself! _

Genesis frowned and quickly distanced herself from the woman. She left the room and shut the door, breathing hard. She opened her door back up, only to close it and lean against it, her eyes on the woman before her.

"I—I don't know what I did, but I need you to take a seat"

* * *

The woman sat on Genesis's bed, the young girl walking around her room. Back and forth, the thoughts in her mind followed the same pace.

"One question: Are you really my mom?" Genesis asked, standing directly in front of the woman she favored so much. There was a sudden blue glow in the heart necklace as the woman's hair disappeared and came back again. Something Genesis noted as odd.

She cocked her head and smiled. "No. Not exactly"

"Then why do you look so much like her?" Genesis inquired, stepping closer to her bed.

"I am a hologram. Or well, maybe you could put it this way. I am an angel, in the shape of your mom" she said. "In theory, yes, but no. If that makes any sense"

Genesis stared at the woman, her eyes wide open, she felt her forehead, her skin burning up. _I must be sick. This is all a simple dream,_ Genesis thought. She quickly pinched her arm, expecting to wake up. Instead, she was still standing in place and her mother was still there.

_I don't understand_, Genesis thought. Her frustrations subsided as her phone started to ring. Placing her finger up as if to tell her mother one moment, Genesis grabbed her phone and answered it, the caller ID reading her _Aunt Jane_.

"Hello?"

"Gen. This is going to sound very strange. Is there maybe a lady who looks like your mom around? Did you perhaps create the chemical balance with the ruby heart necklace she gave you?"

Genesis bit her lip. _So she did know about the enchanted lake and the healing flower. Oh, I'm sick of being treated like a child! This could have all been avoided if I was told. But no... let's shield Genesis away from everything so she figures it out herself. _

Upset by the circumstances her discovery came from, a small smirk crossed her lips. "No. I don't know what you're talking about" she lied.

"Are you sure? My mother is very worried about it. Apparently she says there is a hologram that looks like your mom. And well is kind of your mom. It's weird, I know. But if you come across her..." Jane said as Genesis looked back to the woman who was now filing her nails with a blue file.

"...don't reference her as your mom. It will cause an even worse hole in the space-time continuum and she'll start to glitch. If you happen to find her, just bring her to my mom. Alright?"

_So that's why her hair disappeared_... Genesis thought.

Without hearing an answer, Jane asked the blue-haired teen again. "Gen? You will do that right?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I will" Genesis said, her voice shaky. With a goodbye to her Aunt, she stuffed her phone back in her pocket. _She had never lied to her Aunt before. _

Her mother looked up and smiled warmly. "Who was that?" She asked putting down the file and clasping her hands on her lap. Genesis shook her head, waving her hand away.

"Oh, no one" she answered. "So... let me get to know you"

She had been wishing for a moment like this her entire life. This was her mother. She could ask her anything, go anywhere. They could do what mothers and daughters do. Amazed by the phenomenon of magic before her eyes, Genesis let all things seep out of her mind. After 16 years, she got what she wanted. Or at least what she thought she wanted.

A mother.

* * *

**A/N: To clarify, Genesis has learned that the chemical balance of those three items creates a holographic angel of her mother. I will begin to reference her as Evie, but just a reminder that she's an angel, so she's not the human form of Evie. Beyond Memories is kind of like a combination of Life Size and Pixel Perfect. Feel free to ask questions if you want to! :) **


	11. Roses & Beginnings: A One-Shot

**This is a oneshot built inside the world of Beyond Memories. It's a snapshot of what life was like for Doug after bringing Genesis home. This takes place after the passing of Evie, therefore for some this may be difficult to read. **

* * *

It had been a quiet morning. Seated in the kitchen, Doug's mind wandered. Seven weeks ago, he brought his daughter home. Since then, she'd been adjusting well, much to his surprise. Only learning to grip onto things recently, Genesis had been trying to cling to him with her tiny fingers.

Her cries were quieter than expected and often short.

He used to visit her everyday, not alone of course, in company of his mother or Mal. It took him weeks to finally accept the fact that the love of his life, the girl he dreamed of spending his life with forever had passed. It would continue to baffle him, bringing tears to his eyes.

Being alone with his daughter, the only thing seemingly remaining of Evie, made things difficult.

As he blankly stared across the kitchen to the royal blue curtains and the blooming forget-me-nots on the window sill, a sudden cry broke him out of his thoughts. Leaving his smoothie and phone in their place on the table, he walked up the steps to the nursery. The room was painted a pale blue, with clouds. The same room they anticipated would belong to their first child, then their second and third, and finally Genesis.

He, Mal, Carlos, and Jay added splashes of yellow around the room to brighten it, Mal painting intricate royal blue flowers near the bottom of the wall in honor of Evie. The project was just after the funeral, for the four of them to grieve together.

Walking into the open door, he went to the white crib, little bows around the bars and picked her up. Her cries slowly stopped after being held. She instinctively nestled her head in his neck and slowly fell back to sleep.

With a smile on his face, Doug left the room and carried her to the kitchen where he took his phone. The smoothie sat there with no intentions of him drinking it, something that developed into a habit. Holding her close, he took a seat on the sofa and eyed the notifications popping up on his phone.

As he swiped through the news notifications, he found his way to InstaRoyal. He hadn't been on since Evie's passing. To his surprise, his inbox was full of DMs from various followers of his wife, giving their condolences. As he scrolled through his own page to the last image he had posted, it had been a selfie Evie had taken.

He managed to chuckle, thinking about how she used to brag that she had "that long selfie arm" to catch the perfect angle. Somehow she had managed to take a selfie while kissing his cheek.

In the split moment that he had chuckled at the image, he found tears trickling down his face.

Suddenly feeling the urge to throw his phone, he pressed the side and the screen went black. Turning to his daughter, lying on his shoulder, he gently rubbed her back. He sat in the silence of the house, trying to hold back the waterfall that pushed against his tear ducts.

As if to save him from his emotional state of being, there was a ring to his cell phone. A picture of him and Carlos making crazy faces emerged and he slid the button across.

"Hello?" He said as Carlos' face appeared on the screen.

"Hey, man! How's it going?!" Carlos exclaimed, trying to get a smile out of him with his excitement. Doug simply waved.

"We're okay. Just checking up? You know Mal called me yesterday at nearly midnight to ask me how I was holding up" he said blinking multiple times to hide the fact that he had been shedding tears.

Carlos sheepishly smiled and shrugged. "You know we just want to make sure, dude. Hey, are you sure? Your eyes kinda look red"

"Oh, I just—Evie. Our last post. I know, I really shouldn't have, but I thought I was over the crying" Doug said between voice cracks. He looked away and turned off his camera, leaving the Carlos to just audio.

Just then, Jane appeared, holding their 20 month old daughter and smiled. "You know it's okay, Doug. You don't need to hide any feelings. Everyone is different. You don't have to stick it out alone. I'm sure your mom, or Daisy would love to help out" she said softly.

"I guess I don't want to feel so dependent. Or such a nuisance—l" he began before Carlos stopped him.

"Doug, no. Never. All of us understand and when I mean understand, we sympathize. We're all feeling pain, but you... I think it's known that you're feeling the most direct pain"

Doug hummed. That hadn't been completely why he didn't want help, he just wasn't feeling like having others around. It had been hard to get used to life without Evie, but for someone to come and rearrange things was going to hurt even more. He mostly just needed time to adjust to what his life had become.

"Thanks, guys. For checking up. I'm going to go finish up putting her things away, so if you don't mind..." he trailed off.

"Yeah, yeah, of course" Carlos said as Jane waved. "Later, dude"

"See you guys," Doug said before hanging up. Putting his phone aside once again, he stood up and carried his daughter back upstairs.

Placing her on her back in the crib, she smiled at for a moment, smoothing her silky blue hair and went over to the closet. He began to stack books and took out the various little outfits out of boxes from the baby shower.

Reaching for the next box, he frowned at the label. It read "My Little Rose." Opening the taped box, he found a knit hat, a hand sewn onesie and a tiny dress, the tag reading '6 to 12 months.'

He touched the small clothes and smiled thinking of Evie's workmanship as he examined the intricate seams and the soft fabric.

He closed his eyes envisioning his late wife working on the little outfit and how much of her love she put into it. Her delicate, smooth as porcelain fingers, gliding along the fabric, the needle in her hand. He felt as if she was right before him.

He hallucinated the smell of roses and vanilla, a sweet sense of comfort washing over him. But as he reached to touch the woman before his eyes, he felt nothing but air.


	12. How to Forget

That Sunday afternoon marked a new moment in her life. Genesis asked her mother a number of questions, they went into conversation holes, made jokes and completely had a blast. It was something Genesis knew was going to be rare.

The Evie hologram was activated for nearly three hours before she began to fade away. Genesis concluded that depending on the amount of liquid that hit the necklace, the more or less time she had. With that noted, she let her mother fade out with a goodbye before hiding the sample tube in her drawer once more.

Upon going to bed, it had been the first time in a long time that she slept like a baby. With the necklace around her neck, knowing that her mother was near, was comforting. Even if she was just a hologram. Genesis had replayed Evie's velvety voice in her mind, over and over again, until she drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, bright and early, Genesis felt fully rested. When her father asked why she was so happy, she simply credited the abundant sunshine. With a chuckle, he agreed and showed no signs of suspicion toward his daughter as he did the previous day.

The father and daughter were off to a perfect morning, but that changed halfway through her morning.

In the middle of the Auradon Prep hallways, toward the end of passing time, Eli waved Genesis down. Sharing only two classes after lunch, they normally didn't get a chance before then to talk.

"Are you still annoyed with our parents? My mom was raving about her afternoon date yesterday and your dad sounds like a pretty cool guy," He said, a wide smile on his face. The smile dropped when Genesis turned from inside her locker and shut the metal door. She looked at the books in her hand and chuckled.

"Eli, I don't know what's gotten into you, but I thought we were on the same page. Our parents aren't going anywhere with any of this," Genesis said, rolling her eyes. She looked at her phone, realizing she had a minute to get to Physics. She walked down the hall, Eli following her.

With a frown, he awkwardly smiled. "Yeah, but how do you know? I mean I'm sure if they're hitting it off, they'll decide where their relationship goes."

They walked around the corner, Genesis shaking her head. "I know they won't for a fact. My dad promised me and he doesn't break promises."

The friends stopped at the door of the Physics classroom, Eli disturbed by Genesis's words. He stood there, confused by his friend's strong actions. He realized that their parent's attraction was going to ruin their friendship. He could feel the tension as she pointed her thumb to the entrance of the classroom.

"I'm going to go in, if you don't mind."

She opened the door as Eli began to walk away. But before he was completely out of earshot, she stopped him.

"You might not like it, Eli, but I'm doing the right thing in respect to my mom. Trust me. I have a strong feeling about this," Genesis said with a wave, disappearing into the classroom, leaving Eli in the hall.

He stood in the middle of the hallway, trying to pinpoint the sudden change in his friend. As the bell rang, he raced down the hall and up the stairs to his class. He rushed into the doorway, just as his art instructor turned on the projector.

_Maybe she just needs time to adjust_, Eli thought, taking his seat. Placing his bag on the floor, he took out his sketchbook and pen, his best friend still plaguing his thoughts. As he closed his eyes for a moment, trying to find inspiration, he drew up one more conclusion about his friend.

_Or maybe she's changing. _

—

_Definitely changing_, Eli thought as he sat across from Genesis who hadn't stopped talking about one of the most popular guys in the grade. They were in the cafeteria, the noise level low, as only a quarter of the students had lunch that period. Pulling out a fork and napkin from his bag, he opened the lid of his lunch container.

"So... since we're lab partners, Asher asked me to meet at the Sunshine Café in Little San Fransokyo" Genesis raved, taking a bite out of her sandwich. Eli shrugged and picked at his square of leftover lasagna. He stabbed the layers of pasta, cheese and sauce, prompting a frown from his friend.

"Great," he said, unamused by her chatter. He looked around to other tables, specifically trying to find the source of Genesis's sudden infatuation.

"What's up? Art was boring again?" She asked, opening her sandwich up and nibbling on a piece of lettuce.

Eli shrugged. "No, it was fine. I just don't see what's so great about Asher. He's kind of weird"

Genesis placed her hand under her chin. "I don't know. He's kinda cute. And smart."

"Smart? In what world?" Eli said, with a chuckle. He stabbed the lasagna once more in disbelief over her words. Genesis put down her sandwich and looked over to where Asher was sitting. She glanced back at her friend, pulling loose strands of hair behind her ear.

"You're jealous aren't you? I think Asher is a perfectly fine human. Plus, his mom isn't dating my dad," She blurted.

Catching the words that came out of her mouth, she quickly waved her hands in an attempt to undo the harm. Her face softened, noticing the change in Eli's demeanor. His eyes read sheer disbelief.

"I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that you know, well, I—" she stumbled over her words.

"Forget it, Nessie. And no, I'm not jealous. I just don't like him, okay?" Eli admitted, finally cutting into his pasta and eating a piece. He looked to where the popular skateboarder sat on top of a round table across the room. Genesis tried to give her friend a smile, but Eli wasn't interested, diverting his eye contact.

They ate in utter silence, the sounds of the room seemingly louder than before. As she finished her sandwich and moved on to her apple slices, she noticed that Eli barely ate his lunch. He closed the container to the pasta and packed away his things.

"No cocadas?" Genesis asked softly, a hint of a smile in her eyes. He shook his head. Normally when Eli brought his lunch, he had at least two of the special treats from his grandmother.

"With mom back, she's been resting..." he trailed off, picking up his backpack. He slung it around his shoulders and grabbed his grey sweatshirt. "I'm gonna try to get a good spot in band today."

With a short wave, Eli left the round table, leaving Genesis alone. She watched her friend walk away and out of the cafeteria. With a sigh, she packed up her things as well.

She knew how cramped the band room could get since the two of them were in the same period. Taking after her father, she picked up the trumpet, but was nowhere near the prodigious ability he had at her age.

Glancing at the table with Asher and his friends, she felt her shoulders slump. Genesis wasn't as crazy about Asher as she made it seem. Eli was right. He wasn't necessarily the smartest guy around, but he did have the cutest smile.

Even as she knew that, she needed a distraction from her father's budding relationship which included distancing herself from Eli, if need be.

It all circled around to the conversation with her mother. Now that Genesis had a connection to Evie at her fingertips, she didn't need to focus on reality. Pretending as if her father's relationship with Ava didn't exist, would make her life easier.

And it was proving to be true. She had her mother back, she had a crush like every other girl and now she wasn't bound to reminders of her father's attempts at destroying their family.

The one that Ava could never be a part of.

Bringing Genesis out of her thoughts, the warning bell rang. She collected her things and stuffed her lunch containers back in her tote. She walked out of the cafeteria, brushing by other students, Asher being one of them.

"Hey, Gen," he said, noticing her. He flashed her a smile. "Can I call you that?"

Blushing softly, Genesis nodded her head. "Sure. Just about everyone does."

He chuckled, Genesis noticing his faint dimples on either cheek."See you at the bleachers, alright?" He said, stepping to the side, out of the way of the mass traffic.

"Yeah," she said with a smile of her own.

"Cool," Asher said as one of his friends slapped his shoulder around him. He gave her a quick nod before following the rest of his friends down the hall to the left.

A little star struck, Genesis found her way out of the mass of students and turned to the right. She walked up the steps and to her left was the band hallway. She opened the door and went to find her locker that housed her trumpet.

Taking her instrument into the large room, she stepped through the rows of chairs to a spot in the back. As usual, the room was filled and she looked over the many heads to find Eli.

He was seated across the room toward the front, speaking with another student, someone Genesis didn't recognize. She stared his way, trying to figure out why she was hoping he'd come to the back to talk when she made it clear she was pushing him away.

"Is this seat taken?" A short girl with a denim jumper over a pale green t-shirt asked. She ran her hair through her pixie cut, gesturing to where the blue-haired teen left her trumpet case.

"No, not at all," Genesis said, picking up the case. The girl opened her own case and took out her trumpet, putting it together.

"I'm Blossom," she said, turning to Genesis with a smile as she set the trumpet across her lap.

"Hi, I'm Genesis."

The two girls sat silently, staring blankly around the room. Trying to relieve the awkwardness, even the most minuscule items piqued their interest.

"I saw you looking at that guy with the grey sweatshirt. Like him or something?" Blossom asked bluntly.

Genesis looked to the girl on her left. "No. We just know each other."

"Oh. Are you upper or under class?"

"Upper."

"Same. I'm a Junior. It's my first year here, though. Supposedly there's like a bunch of kids of royals and heroes here. I haven't found any. How about you?" Blossom said, pushing the clear framed glasses up from the bridge of her nose.

"Technically. Most people here are third generation royals or heroes. My dad is the son of a hero and my mom was one of the first Isle transfer students," Genesis commented, hoping the girl wouldn't be too intrigued.

Most people these days didn't care who her parents were and weren't interested in their story.

"Really? Which ones? I'm just an average mortal here on scholarship," Blossom said with a light giggle. "You're the first person I've met, then."

It was rare that anyone who wasn't a freshman asked about lineage. Now that integration and intermarriage was normalized, most people had both AK and VK roots.

But Genesis wasn't complaining. She'd rather have this conversation than have to think about anything relating to her grandparents moving and the Jalalis.

"My dad is the son of Dopey and my mom was the daughter of the Evil Queen. The irony, right?"

That got a laugh out of Blossom. "Your mom is Evie White? I'm so sorry about her passing. Her work and life were amazing. She's still really popular on the Isle. They call her the Isle's Princess"

"How do you know more about my mom than I do?" Genesis chuckled. She suspected that Blossom was from the Isle, and that happened to be somewhere she had yet to go, despite her maternal connection.

"At my old school I didn't learn too much about history except for who the original VKs were. I'm from the Isle, if you were wondering. You'd think things would be better there, but time will change the place," Blossom informed. With a warm smile, Genesis began to reply but was interrupted as the band instructor asked for their attention.

—

Just as the class ended and they started to pack up their instruments, Blossom turned to Genesis.

"Hey, are you busy after school?" She asked, adjusting her backpack on her shoulders. She picked up the black instrument case and collected her music sheets into a folder.

"Yeah, I have to meet a guy at the bleachers to go to Sunshine Café. I'm free tomorrow, though."

"At the bleachers, huh?" Blossom asked with a raised eyebrow. "Is he your boyfriend or something?"

"No. We're just lab partners. Asher Longwood, skateboarder," Genesis said, as Blossom's eyes slightly widened and she giggled.

"Wow, lucky you. He's pretty popular around here. Usually when I hear of "under the bleachers" I think of either a scam or people getting too close for comfort"

Genesis chuckled. "I think we're just meeting up somewhere so we can walk together."

The two girls walked around the rows of chairs to the door. With a quick goodbye to their instructor, they were on their way out. Occupied by conversing with Blossom, Genesis glanced to where Eli was putting away his trombone.

They made eye contact for a moment, before Genesis turned back to Blossom. She smiled and continued out of the room. "What was that?" Luckily, Blossom seemed unfazed by Genesis' moment and they continued on, eventually separating down the hall exchanging phone numbers.

A new friend and a new crush...how many more distractions could Genesis rack up? With a smile curved on her face, she walked down the halls to English and found her assigned seat.

Her mind exploded with thoughts, concluding that she couldn't wait to tell her mom about Blossom and Asher.

She lowered the zipper of her sweater and looked at the ruby heart around her neck. She clasped her hand around it and felt a warmth hit her chest.

Watching her fellow classmates walk in, she noticed Eli. But mid-sigh as she realized the friend was losing, there was a soft blue glow of the necklace. Something felt wrong about what she was doing. But the blue glow left as fast as her mind had changed, her original conscience coming back.

—

What Genesis had yet to realize was that her distractions weren't going to be enough to erase her problems. The introduction of Asher, Blossom and her mother were all good in time. But she sped up time to meet her desires. The things she wanted, weren't really as they seemed at face value.


End file.
